Frozen
by YanaEffect
Summary: After living a life with his foster parents, Sasuke Uchiha learns at the age of 23 that he has a brother living in a small town called Stillwater in Minnesota. He decides to move in with his brother, and Itachi's blond neighbor/friend Naruto Uzumaki turns out to be someone who he enjoys spending time with. SasuNaru/NaruSasu, AU - COMPLETE
1. Finally Found You

Sasuke reclined his seat and made himself comfortable as much as he could in the cheap train. He removed the shoulder strap of his black messenger bag and placed it on the empty seat next to him. He could smell the strong scent of coffee in the air, but he was too nervous to care about it right now. Closing his eyes, he decided he would try to get some rest until the train started to move. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't bring himself to doze off. He hadn't slept much last night either, busy packing and worrying about today. The train finally started to move with a loud whistle and clattering wheels, startling Sasuke for a second before he relaxed and leaned his head to make it touch the thick glass of the window. It was early spring, the snow had partially melted and let the green grass show under the white snow. Actually, he had realized that the weather was pretty nice while waiting for his train at the old, brick colored train station at Sioux Falls. He'd had the chance to do some sightseeing yesterday since he had a couple of hours to himself before he had to move, and actually found the place was quite nice. It was a shame people only knew the massacre instead of the beautiful attractions.

He watched the mountains and fields as they moved. Some people were chattering obnoxiously loud, making Sasuke groan in discomfort. He was uneasy anyway, and the last thing he needed was noise. He pulled out his earphones from his bag and shoved them in his ears, then plugging the other end to his iPod and selecting a playlist he had put together for the times when he couldn't sleep. Lana Del Rey's "Video Games" started to play, immediately soothing him. He turned the volume up until he wasn't able to hear any other sound. He fixed his dark eyes on the white clouds, watching the shapes they created. The journey would last for approximately 5 and a half hours, so he had a lot of time to do some thinking.

He had been alone since he was a little kid. At the age of 4, he was adopted by a couple who couldn't have kids. His foster parents were good people, they had never neglected him and were always there for Sasuke. He was thankful that he had the opportunity to go to private schools, get a college degree and live a life without ever worrying about money. But not knowing his real parents had always been upsetting for Sasuke. They couldn't understand his pain.

Then, all of a sudden, at the age of 23, Sasuke had found out that he had a brother. It was both shocking and exciting, making Sasuke's heart thud in his chest when his parents told him what they've learned. He had actually hugged them both with joy, a gesture he wouldn't often bring to life. His brother, _Itachi_ was 6 years older than Sasuke. They had seen each other through a Skype call. He definitely was Sasuke's brother. The similarity was not something you could miss, only Itachi had longer hair and bags under his eyes. Not that Sasuke didn't have them, but Itachi's were much more evident. He had gotten to know about Itachi a bit; he was the mayor of a small town in Minnesota called Stillwater. He was living alone, he liked to read and visit cafés. Learning that their heritage is Japanese wasn't much of a surprise. Sasuke always had suspicions about having Asian roots.

As the song changed to "Good Life" by OneRepublic, he brushed his dark bangs out of his face and took a deep breath. Knowing he had a brother was a very nice feeling, reminding him he was not completely alone in this world without a family. His efforts to find out about his real parents was a dead-end and had only left him worn out. At some point, he had tried to focus on his job at Macy's. He didn't necessarily like it, but it didn't look like he was gonna use his architecture diploma anytime soon and he needed the money to pay the rent for his studio apartment in San Francisco. It paid well, and he would interact with so many people that sometimes, when he was very lucky, he would forget about his loneliness.

With all these thoughts clouding up his mind and anxiety making his stomach feel ill, he somehow managed to shut off his brain and fall into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Sasuke?"

He awoke with a thick male's voice and a soft nudge on his shoulder. His earphones were still in his ears, but no sound came. He pulled them out, remembering that he had set his iPod to shut off after 2 hours. Thinking he would wake up when it did was obviously a bad idea, but he didn't think he would sleep this deep.

He lifted his tired lids to see the person waking him up. His heart started to beat impossibly fast when he realized it was none other than his brother. Trying to figure out what to do, he opened his mouth. "Itachi."

The older man smiled at Sasuke and reached out his hand for him to take. After eyeing it for a second, Sasuke accepted the offer and took it. He stood up with the help and rubbed his sore neck with his other hand after placing the strap of his bag on his shoulder. They let their hands go and looked at each other. Neither looked too sure about what was supposed to be done next. Eventually, it was Itachi who broke the silence. "Let's get out of the train first."

Sasuke nodded. He followed Itachi to the exit, realizing now that the train was completely empty except for them. So much for the first meeting with his long lost brother.

The moment he stepped out of the train, Sasuke started to shiver. The wind was blowing heavily, and the shining sun didn't help with heating the weather at all. He licked his dry lips and started to look at his brother in the daylight, who was standing and gazing at him too. He was a bit taller than Sasuke, his skin pale and he looked distant except for the warmth flickering in his dark eyes that resembled Sasuke's. People were walking by, occasionally staring at the two.

Itachi cleared his throat. "Don't you have a suitcase?"

"No, my parents will mail my stuff. My _foster_ parents."

"I see." Itachi nodded. He looked almost as nervous as Sasuke. Being the mayor and all obviously didn't help much with family situations.

"Should we… hug or something?" Sasuke finally asked, his voice sounding vulnerable to his ears. "Oh, and sorry about that. I didn't get to sleep much last night."

"It's okay," Itachi smiled. He had a warm, heartwarming smile, at least toward Sasuke. He stepped forward to Sasuke's personal space and wrapped his arms around his younger brother. Sasuke could feel the affection coiling around his body. He returned the hug and closed his eyes.

"Welcome home, brother." Itachi whispered to Sasuke's hair. After being away for 19 years, he was finally home; where he belonged. They parted after a minute, and Itachi urged Sasuke to get into his white Sedan right outside the station, possibly having felt Sasuke shiver slightly while hugging. Itachi was wearing a thick coat unlike Sasuke's thin jacket.

It would take half an hour to Stillwater from Minneapolis, giving them plenty of time to get to know each other. Sasuke realized they were more alike than he had thought during their Skype call. First of all, he observed that despite their nervousness, both were composed and knew how to keep their emotions at bay. Both clever. Sasuke wouldn't boast with this quality, but it's not like he didn't know it either. But Itachi was indeed as sharp as him, maybe even more so.

During the ride, they didn't talk about their parents or why Sasuke was adopted. Sasuke knew they were deceased, and wanted to learn what had happened with all his heart, but doing it in a car with the brother he had literally just met would be really inappropriate. It looked like Itachi was thinking the same thing too. He made a few jokes, making Sasuke laugh with the logic hidden behind, which was very relaxing because Sasuke usually never laughed. Not that he didn't want to, he just wouldn't find the jokes funny. After that, he told Sasuke about Stilltown, his job, how glad he was to see Sasuke again. Itachi was 10 when Sasuke had left home, which made it plausible for him to remember Sasuke.

"It's funny. I didn't remember you at all," Sasuke murmured, staring out the window. It was dark now, but he could see the lights coming from the town. They were close.

"You were 4. Most children don't remember that age. Maybe a few memories, but not much. And considering we didn't live together after that, there was nothing to trigger your memory. It makes me sad, but I can live with that."

"After that Skype call, I dreamed of a few things."

"Really? Would you mind telling me about them?" Itachi sounded intrigued.

"There was this… dinosaur plush. A green one. It wasn't a vivid dream, but I clearly remember you and me playing with it." The dream had left Sasuke with tears in his eyes. He wanted to remember more. He wanted to remember about his parents, about his childhood, _anything_.

Itachi chuckled. "Yeah, you definitely remember that. You were obsessed with it. I think I still have that somewhere in the attic. I don't live in the same house anymore, but I moved some stuff with me. What else?"

"Let's see," Sasuke hummed and tilted his head to see Itachi's face. "I feel like you had a habit of flicking my forehead."

A smile spread across Itachi's handsome features. "I did. You would crawl onto my lap and ask me to play with you, but I had my studies. I would flick your forehead and say 'Maybe next time'."

"And that next time never came." Sasuke stated. He could see Itachi's smile fading.

"I want to tell you all about it, Sasuke. I want you to learn about the past, about our family. But not right now. We can't change the past, but we can change the present. I found you after 19 years and I'm not planning to start re-building our relationship with haunting memories of the past, little brother."

Sasuke gulped hearing the last words. "Little brother…" he whispered. He could feel a knot forming in his throat, making him unable to speak or even breathe. The feeling was so very nostalgic but sad. He fisted his hands to keep himself from sobbing.

"I'm sorry." Whispered Itachi, like he was afraid to incite Sasuke further. He reached out and placed his right hand on Sasuke's fisted one, squeezing lightly. His eyes were fixed on the road. Sasuke blinked and started to study the small town now that they were inside the borders. After a minute of silence, Itachi removed his hand and pointed to somewhere. "That's where the Government Building is. You can't really see it in the dark, but it's that direction."

"Hm. Would you take me there sometime? I want to see where you work."

"Of course," Itachi said. "There's a library across it. You can go there too, if you'd like."

"Sure. I like reading."

"It must be the blood. Every Uchiha I knew liked to read."

"I'm assuming there's no one other than us, since you used past tense," Sasuke fidgeted in his seat. Itachi didn't answer. They kept driving, and passed something that looked like a bridge. He wasn't sure though, it didn't look clear in the dark.

"There's an elementary school over there," Itachi pointed to his left.

"You went there?" Sasuke asked, wanting to learn more about Itachi.

"Yes. And a friend of mine works there now, my neighbor, actually. He's a good guy. I'd like you to meet him."

Sasuke nodded. Itachi pulled over in front of a big house after a minute, turned the engine off and got out of the car. Sasuke followed him, closing the door with a shut. He looked around. The garden seemed nice, Itachi probably had someone to take care of it. He walked toward the door, getting in the house after he waited for Itachi to open the door.

"Welcome home, Sasuke." Itachi said again. He took off his coat and hung it in the coat cabinet.

"Thank you," Sasuke kindly answered. He was a bit overwhelmed by all this, having an older brother by his side. He looked around uncomfortably before removing his bag and putting it on the couch.

"Are you hungry? Do you want me to cook something?"

He was, in fact, very hungry. Lunch was skipped due to his nervous state, and the light breakfast was long digested. "Yes, please." He shyly said. Being with his brother was making him show a side that he had never seen himself.

Itachi walked toward Sasuke and placed a hand on top of his head. He had a serene expression on his face. He looked happy that Sasuke was here. "Is fried rice okay?"

"Sure."

"Make yourself comfortable until it's cooked. You can take a shower, rest or watch TV. The password for Wi-Fi is "Fumisait410", F is capitalized. Anything else?"

"No. Thank you." Sasuke looked up to meet Itachi's gaze. Itachi ruffled his hair lightly before leaving the room to prepare dinner for them. Sasuke let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding and pulled out his phone from his pocket. He quickly typed in the password Itachi had said. What did that word mean anyway? It sounded kind of Japanese, leading him to open Google Translate to see its meaning. 'Did you mean? _faisait_ " appeared. It didn't have a meaning either. He decided to ask Itachi later.

He checked his inbox for any e-mails. Two unread mails greeted him, both of them about commissions. As a method to earn more money, Sasuke was doing writing commissions whenever he felt like it. He had taken a few classes about creative writing, using the extra knowledge to improve his skills. After a while, he had found out that he actually liked writing whenever he was free. It was like a hobby now.

He decided he would read them later and put his phone back in his pocket, and started to contemplate his surroundings. The inside was smaller than how it looked on the outside, but then again, the lighting was poor and could've misled him. The walls were a light shade of grey, giving the room a soft yet cool effect. He couldn't help a smirk when he saw books in a corner, and this was the living room. He could imagine how crowded Itachi's study was.

After a while, he got bored of sitting and doing nothing. Thinking maybe there were pictures of their family, he stood up and started to slowly walk around the room. The delicious smell reached his nose and made his mouth water. His brother looked like he knew how to cook. He didn't know himself, his foster mother had always cooked for them. She was good at it too, but the thought of eating his own brother's food made his stomach feel weird in a good way.

He was disappointed when he didn't see any photos around. But he was sure Itachi had his reasons, so he let the subject drop and sat back down. He ran his hand over the cushion of the couch.

Itachi chose this moment to come in. "Sasuke, dinner's ready."

"I'm coming." He made his way to the kitchen. It was refreshingly decorated, mostly red and white. The rice on the table looked absolutely delicious.

"Sit down, you must be hungry." Itachi gestured Sasuke to take a seat. "Would you like to drink anything?"

"Water's fine," Sasuke made himself comfortable. This was his first time being in this house, with a man he barely knew, but he felt oddly comfortable. He watched Itachi sit down on the chair across his.

"Let's eat," Itachi smiled. Sasuke thought Itachi looked a bit tired, but he had probably came to pick him up after work, so it made sense. Plus, he was sure he looked tired himself.

They started to eat. The rice tasted absolutely spectacular. This was his brother, after all. The thought alone made Sasuke smile.

"What… are you thinking about?" Itachi asked tentatively and took another spoon of his rice.

"…I was just thinking how glad I am to have a brother." Sasuke said, smiling at Itachi.

"I'm not gonna lie, you're taking it all in pretty well. I thought you wouldn't even accept to stay with me, thinking I could be a psychopath."

"The thought did cross my mind, but I figured it would be okay since you're the mayor. The whole town would be screwed if that were the case, not only me."

"Very well. Still doesn't explain how you're comfortable staying with someone you don't really know," Itachi smirked. Amusement was evident in his voice.

"I don't know myself. Maybe it's that my body recognized yours when we hugged. I have no idea." He put the spoon down and drank his water.

Itachi hummed in response. "Did you like the food?"

"Very much. Thank you…" He wanted to add 'brother', but he didn't feel ready to call the older man that. Itachi seemed to have no problem with being addressed with his name despite the age difference, which made Sasuke very glad because he needed time to get used to things. Itachi started to gather the plates and glasses. "Let me help you with the dishes," Sasuke hurriedly got up, but was stopped by Itachi.

"No. You need to rest. I'll handle these," he put the dishes in the sink.

"But-"

"I said _no_. You look exhausted and I don't want to tire you even more. Besides, I'll find someone to show you around tomorrow, if you'd like. So you'll need to have energy."

Sasuke shifted his weight to his other foot. This much attention from someone who he barely knew was… kind of great. Especially since this person was his brother. They were flesh and blood. "That would be nice."

Itachi turned off the warm water and started to rub the sponge to a plate. "Mhm. Your room is the door on the right upstairs. There's an adjacent bathroom. Do you have something to wear? You can borrow whatever you like."

"I've brought some clothes in my bag. Itachi?"

"Yes?" Itachi looked at him.

Sasuke opened his mouth to say something. How much he was thankful to have him as a brother, how happy he was to be here. But he ended up bidding the older man a good night before leaving the kitchen and going upstairs after taking his bag with him.

There were 3 rooms. He guessed one of them was an extra for guests. He turned the door knob of the room on his right. A warm and cosy-looking place welcomed him. A king sized bed was in the middle of the room, black headboard touching the light blue wall. There was a computer, which Sasuke didn't need since he had brought his laptop along. A small bookshelf was next to the door. He eyed the books after putting his bag on the office chair. His eyes couldn't focus much due to his tiredness. Raking a hand through his hair, he started to take off his clothes to take a shower. He stripped down to his black boxers, folding the clothes neatly and putting them on the desk. The white door in his room opened to a rather large bathroom that had a shower cabinet, a tub and cabinets around. They all looked clean. He turned the tap on to let the water heat up and took off his boxers. He looked around for a hamper, and found a small one in a cabinet under the sink. There were also various soaps and towels in there. He chose a rag and a purple soap that smelled like lavender. The water was heated up enough now. He stepped inside, closed the glass door of the cabinet and let the warm water run over his body, relaxing his tense muscles. As much as he wanted to stay here, he also desperately wanted to sleep, so he quickly washed himself.

He returned to his room with a white towel around his waist. He pulled out boxer briefs, a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt from his bag, quickly putting them on before turning off the lights and practically throwing himself on the bed. The sheets smelled nice, and with the warmth of the room, he fell asleep without finding the chance to think about his day.

* * *

When he finally woke up, Sasuke was feeling sore all over. His eyes felt swollen from too much sleep, his body was loose yet aching. A hand reached to rub his eyes. The last time he had slept this much, he was still in high school. He finally found the strength to open his eyes and looked around blankly. The room was unfamiliar to him, and made him want to leave it immediately. As much as he didn't want to admit, it would take much time and effort to get used to this place.

He got on his feet after waiting for the dizziness to disappear. He relieved himself, brushed his teeth and washed his face. The sound of toilet flush was irritating, giving him a light headache that he was certainly not willing to suffer from, so he quickly closed the bathroom door and found his phone in his bag. The phone's screen read 11.42, Itachi was probably already at work. A loud grumble coming from his stomach was all it took to convince Sasuke to leave the room and find something to eat.

He made his way downstairs, to the kitchen. This room felt much better to be in, the colors not too bright but enough to cheer him up. A white paper on the table caught his attention.

 _I hope you have a good day. I set up someone to company you. He will be there around 12. Sorry I can't be there myself to show you around town, but I promise to do it someday. –Your brother_

Sasuke took a deep breath and ran his fingers over the paper. The warm, unfamiliar feeling swirling in his chest was something he was longing for without knowing. He finally had someone he had blood relation to, someone who was close to him. Someone he could trust without questioning.

He put down the paper and rubbed his lips together. This was something he could get used to. Another grumble from his stomach pulled him out of his thoughts and reminded him to eat something. He pulled open the stainless steel door of the fridge, looking for something. Itachi seemed like a person who liked cooking, thus he had many ingredients. Hopefully, he had cereal too. Sasuke was in no mood to cook. He took the half used glass of milk and closed the door with his foot.

After placing a bowl he spent a minute to find on the table, he picked a random, red box from the shelf and poured some cereal, then milk in the yellow bowl. He found a spoon and started to eat absent-mindedly.

The doorbell made him jump slightly in his seat. He wasn't expecting this person to be early. He checked the time. His phone said 12.03, so they weren't early. He was just too lost in thought to realize how much time he'd spent playing with the soggy cereals in his bowl.

Swiftly dumping the rest of his food to disposal, he left the bowl on the counter and rubbed his nape as he walked toward the front door. When he opened it, the blondest person he had ever seen was standing right in front of him.

It wasn't like Sasuke was surrounded by brunettes all the time. His foster parents were both brunettes, but they had a blond neighbor and she would visit his mother every week for coffee. Also, his co-worker Ino at Macy's was very blond, too. But this guy had the shiniest, brightest, blondest hair of all time. He had sparkly azure eyes that complemented his hair beautifully, which were intently skimming over Sasuke right now.

"Hi, I'm Naruto." The blond finally spoke with a cheerful voice and extended his hand for Sasuke to shake.

"Sasuke." He shook the warm hand for a brief moment before letting go. "Itachi must've sent you."

"Um, yeah," he nodded. "He said he needed me to show you around?"

"I'd appreciate that much, yes. I need to get ready though. Can you wait here for a couple of minutes?"

"I thought you'd invite me in for that," Naruto scratched his cheek.

Sasuke raised a delicate eyebrow and brushed his bangs off of his face. "No. I'm not letting someone I don't know into Mayor's house. Don't even think about it."

"Like you're one to talk! You're not even from this town." Naruto folded his arms, irritation evident in his voice.

"Who says I'm not?" Sasuke's eyes were sparkling with amusement. He hadn't been messing with anyone for a long time, since he was too busy and emotionally unstable to. Naruto seemed perfect to show off his skills.

"Well, _are you_?" Naruto retorted. "I haven't seen you before, and trust me, I know _everyone_ in this town."

"I am from here, but it's my first time here in 19 years. You clearly don't know _everyone_ like you claim. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get dressed."

With that, Sasuke closed the steel door without forgetting to smirk at Naruto's face and climbed the stairs two steps at a time. He pulled on the black jeans from yesterday and found a navy blue, V-neck sweater from his bag. It wasn't a huge bag, but he could fit his laptop, clothes for 2 days (his parents made sure the rest of his stuff would be here before he needed them) and a book. Apparently he wouldn't need it with Itachi being a bookworm himself.

He put on his socks and boots too and took his jacket to wear while he made his way downstairs. He had his wallet in his back pocket, and after shoving his phone to the pocket of his jacket, he opened the front door, only to find the sulking blond sitting on the steps in front of the house. When he heard the door open, he looked back and threw a look with his blue eyes. "Is the princess ready?" Sarcasm was dripping from his words.

"Hn. It's 'prince' for you." Sasuke closed the door. He didn't have a key, but he figured Itachi would be home by the time they returned. Or he would simply go to the Government Building. It would be a good chance to see his brother's workplace too.

Naruto got up and walked Sasuke to his car. It was a ridiculously bright orange Audi, making Sasuke immediately question himself whether he wanted to get in or walk. Everything about Naruto seemed too bright for Sasuke's liking. "Where do you want to go first? It's not that big of a town, but I'm sure you can find something to entertain yourself during your visit."

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow. "I'm here to stay."

"What do you mean?" Naruto opened the door to his car and got in. He waited for Sasuke to close the door before speaking again. "Why are you staying in Itachi's house anyway?"

"You…" Sasuke frowned. "Do you know who I am?"

"No? Was I supposed to?" Naruto hit the gas pedal slowly and looked around before turning right.

"I thought Itachi would tell you," Sasuke murmured. "And aren't you supposed to call him Mayor or something? You sound like you two are close."

"Heh, we kind of are. I'm his neighbor for 6 years, and friend for a lot more than that." Naruto let out a chuckle. His eyes were wandering over the signboards like he was trying to decide where to take Sasuke.

"So you're the neighbor-slash-teacher he told me about yesterday. I figured he was talking about someone smarter." He smirked at the change of Naruto's facial expression. "Maybe I was wrong."

"I _am_ smart, you asshole," said Naruto. They were driving over the same bridge again. "Itachi wouldn't ask for me to show you around if I weren't, since you're such a smartass."

"I doubt he knows this part of me yet."

"Hm? You still haven't explained who you are. Why would Itachi let someone he doesn't know stay in his house?" Naruto wasn't looking at Sasuke, but Sasuke could see that he was interested.

He fidgeted in his seat. "I'm his brother."

"WHAT?!" Naruto slammed the brakes on, making Sasuke hit his head to the window. "What the hell do you mean you're his brother?"

"Idiot," Sasuke rubbed the sore spot on his temple. It would definitely bruise. "I mean exactly what I said."

"B-but…" Naruto stuttered, his eyes wide open as he stared at Sasuke's face. The gaze made Sasuke uncomfortable, but the boy was probably confused as hell right now, so he just returned the gaze. "You're his brother…" Naruto whispered.

"I am." He nodded.

"But where were you all this time? I practically grew up knowing Itachi, but never heard of a brother?"

"I don't think I want to talk about this right now." Sasuke dismissed. If Naruto was as clever as he said he was, he would know not to pry further.

"Alright. I was thinking of taking you to the museum, but I just remembered that it's Saturday. It's probably closed now. How about…" he drummed his fingers on the wheel. "We buy some coffee and I take you to a park? It must be a bit chilly, but not enough to catch a cold."

"Sounds good to me."

They had coffee cups in their hands now. The weather was indeed chilly, and Sasuke had to enwrap his hands around his coffee to keep them from shivering. His clothes would be here today, or latest, tomorrow. Buying another jacket seemed pointless.

After walking around for a bit in the place Naruto introduced as "St. Croix Boom Site", they found a clean bench and sat down. The scenery was nice, with a clear lake view and lots of trees. Although, Sasuke was sure he had seen better at Siaux Falls.

"Do you come here often?" Sasuke asked and took another sip from his now lukewarm coffee.

"I'd say so, yeah. My grandad and I used to come here to fish when I was a kid. It's kind of like my haven, but it's not as enjoyable as this when it's crowded."

"You fish?" This intrigued Sasuke. His father was a busy lawyer, thus he never had time to spend quality time with Sasuke to do stuff like this. Not that Sasuke really wanted to. He was sure Kenshi would be happy to turn down a client for Sasuke if he had insisted.

"Not anymore. It's a good activity to get your mind off things. But I can't even find time to do that now that I started to teach." Naruto kicked a pebble from his seat. It rolled down and dived into the water with a quiet sound.

"How come you accepted to show me around then? You didn't know I was related to Itachi either."

"Ah, it was just a favor. Itachi has done stuff for me in the past, and we know each other for… many years." He let out a sigh. "Before he moved next to my house. He's a good guy."

Sasuke fidgeted. "I don't know him very well."

Naruto threw a skeptical look at him before nodding. There was no way the blond knew what was going on, was there? He looked as clueless as Sasuke was about the case. They obviously both needed to let the new information sink in.

After avoiding each other's gazes, Sasuke finally mustered up the courage to say what he had in mind. "Thank you for doing this. For Itachi or not, it's still better than walking around town and possibly getting lost."

Naruto tilted his head and smiled. Sasuke could feel the boy moving his feet under the bench. _Probably a nervous habit_ , he thought. A slight blush was on his cheeks, probably from the increasing harshness of the wind. "It's fine. I like getting to know new people."

"Can't say the same thing about myself, but you're okay." Sasuke smirked. "Aren't we supposed to head back? It's getting colder."

"Right," Naruto got up and dusted off the back of his jeans. "I'm used to the cold. Doesn't matter if it's spring or not, it's still Minnesota."

"Hn."

"Where are you from anyway? You must be from South if you're bothered by his." Naruto connected his hands behind his back. He looked around as he waited for Sasuke to finish his remaining coffee and throw the cup to the near trash bin.

Sasuke wiped his running nose with his hand. "California."

"Really?" Naruto seemed surprised. "It explains why your eyes are getting red and teary. _Are you crying_ , Sasuke?"

"No, idiot," he bumped Naruto's shoulder playfully and blinked a couple of times. "My eyes are sensitive."

"Yeah, being a princess and all. You must have been living in a palace before you came here and decided to blend into society," he snickered. "Tell me, princess. Would you bestow me the privilege of buying you lunch?"

"Hmm. It's technically dinner, but if you promise to protect the country from bad guys, I'd be happy to."

They both smirked at this. Sasuke was amazed how easy it was to converse with the blond he had met just a couple of hours ago. Usually it would take months to get comfortable with sitting in a room alone with a person. The boy had a nice personality. He knew how to tease, but knew where to stop before crossing borders. He liked sarcasm, which he was not very good at, but he knew not to take offense. Sasuke would see how their friendship would go. He was planning on living here for at least a couple of years to learn about his homeland, his family, his brother. And he certainly didn't want to pass up the opportunity to have at least one person around him to satisfy his socializing needs. As much as he didn't want to accept, he was a human being too. He needed to interact.

They didn't speak much during the ride to Naruto's favorite buffet. The radio was on, playing "In The End" by Black Veil Brides. He said that the food is really good there, and Sasuke had no idea where else they could eat other than McDonald's he had seen when they first left the house, so he just laid back and let Naruto take him. The blond was humming the melody and bobbing his head up and down. Sasuke just sighed and started to watch the shops they passed by.

Naruto pulled over across a small buffet with a red awning. Sasuke followed Naruto inside. The blonde greeted a waitress before taking the table at the far end corner. It wasn't crowded inside, the soft music playing could be heard.

"Ayame, my usual. But bring two of them," the blond shouted at the girl he had said hi to earlier as he took off his jacket. Sasuke would keep his on.

"Your usual?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Did you just order for me?"

"Sort of," Naruto scratched his cheek. He had a goofy, apologizing smile on his face. "But I'm sure you'll like it. It's sooo good. You like burgers, right?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the assumption.

"Anyway, we talked about me all the time. Tell me a little bit about yourself." Naruto reached for the salt and started to play with the object. His eyes were locked with Sasuke's.

"I'm from California."

"Yes, bastard, I already know that. For example, what do you do for a living? What are your hobbies? Things you like? Things you don't like? _Dreams_?"

"I'm currently unemployed." He thought whether he should give the usual answer to the other questions: 'I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything.' But Naruto seemed… genuinely interested in the answers. Even though he liked to be a bastard most of the times, he figured it wouldn't hurt to be nice for once. "I… like to write."

"You do? What do you write? Wait, don't tell me you're published?"

"No. I usually write commissions to earn some money. People like my work, and I like doing it. Much better than working as an architect right now."

"So you majored in architecture." Naruto let go of the salt and nodded. "You don't sound like you're into it too much."

"Do I hate it? No. But I don't love it either. I worked at Macy's before coming here. In hindsight, it was probably even worse than drawing."

"Ah." Was all Naruto said before picking up the salt again. He looked at the kitchen door, trying to determine when their meal would arrive.

"Naruto." Sasuke murmured.

"Hm?" The blond turned his head to Sasuke.

He sighed before speaking. "I feel like a burden to you. You probably have better things to do on a Saturday."

The blond frowned at his words. "Don't be ridiculous, Sasuke. I'm enjoying this right now."

"But you're doing it for Itachi. Does he even pay you for this?"

"No. Some things are more important than money. I can't say that I know you very well, but if you're Itachi's brother, you're family."

Sasuke blinked. "Family? You and Itachi…?"

"Huh?" Naruto stared at Sasuke blankly.

Sasuke blinked.

"NO!" Naruto finally understood what Sasuke meant and burst into laughter. "God, no. Itachi's like a brother to me. And I'm pretty sure that he doesn't swing that way." As he said, Ayame came with two plates in her hands. She placed them, asked what they wanted to drink and went back to the kitchen.

"So," Naruto threw a fry in his mouth. "You're gonna be living with Itachi from now on?"

"I'm hoping to."

"I always got the impression that he's a lonely man. To be honest, I'm more than glad that an unknown brother showed up. You don't occur to me as a social butterfly either, so it'll be good for you both." He squeezed some ketchup to his plate from the bottle and reached for another fry.

"How come you judge me when you only know me for a couple of hours?" Sasuke knitted his brows.

Naruto shrugged. "I'm good with people. I can read that side of you like an open book. Funny thing is," he lowered his voice. "I can't tell much about you other than that."

Ayame brought their cokes and Naruto thanked her. They silently ate their burgers and fries. Sasuke wasn't sure how to initiate a conversation, and the blond looked in his own world as he took a huge bite of his burger. He pulled out his phone and checked his messages. His mother was letting him know that his cargo had reached Stillwater, and would likely be delivered today. There was no one at home though. Eventually, he decided to ask Naruto to help him with this. He remembered that didn't have a key, but he could just leave his stuff on the porch. He figured no one would try to steal from Mayor's house.

"You haven't touched your food much. Don't you like it?" Naruto's voice distracted him from his thoughts.

"It's good. I realized I'm not as hungry as I thought. Sorry," he muttered.

"S'fine. Let's go if you're done." Naruto reached for a napkin and wiped his mouth, making it a ball and leaving it in his empty plate. He shoved his hand into his pocket, pulled some money and put them on the table.

When they stepped out, the weather was slightly warmer than before. At least enough for Sasuke to not wipe his nose every 2 minutes.

"Are you tired yet? Do you want me to drop you off? I can take you somewhere else if you want to." Naruto was smiling, but his voice sounded less enthusiastic compared to before. He fixed his bangs with a hand.

Sasuke cleared his throat. "Actually, my cargo has arrived. I need to pick it up."

"Oh. Get in then. It's not very far away from here." He unlocked the car and they both got in.

"Sorry. I can't get them myself since they're probably heavier than I can carry." He said and fastened his seatbelt.

"No problem. My aunt works there. Well, not exactly my aunt, but I call her that anyway. It'll be good to see her," he turned on the ignition and started to drive. "I walked in on her once. When I was a kid. They were doing it with my grandad."

Sasuke blinked. Being awkward in social situations had nothing to do with this. He was pretty sure that you were not supposed to be talking about the sex life of your aunt. Especially when it's incest.

"Don't worry, they're not blood-related," Naruto snickered when he saw Sasuke's horrified expression. "I was a curious kid. I wanted to learn anything and everything, and apparently they were making too much noise. I still don't understand how my grandad was fine with doing it when a small kid was living in his house." He snorted. "My curiosity ended up making me a teacher though, so I'm cool with it today."

"You seem to like your job," Sasuke started picking at the fabric of his jeans. "It must be nice." He noted that Naruto had been living with his grandad, but he didn't want to pry. Just like Naruto hadn't.

"Definitely. Children can be tough, but I like them. And here we are," he pointed at the blue signboard of the post office. The building was small, just as Sasuke had expected. It was a small town. But the white walls made it look well-kept.

"Here we go," Naruto turned the engine off and walked out. Sasuke followed him suit. It was starting to feel a little weird to be walking behind Naruto all the time like a lost puppy.

"Naruto!" A female voice was heard as soon as they made it through the door.

"Aunt Tsunade!" Naruto practically ran toward the source of the yell. "It's good to see you!"

"Where are you, brat? I haven't seen you in ages." Sasuke could hear them talk in a small room, but didn't go in immediately. After a minute, Naruto walked out with a blond, beautiful woman behind him.

"This is Sasuke. He moved here yesterday."

The woman narrowed her eyes at Sasuke, making him feel uneasy under the gaze. "I know you."

"What?" Naruto intervened. "How can you know him?" Sasuke was watching them with confused eyes. He clenched his fists unconsciously. He definitely wanted to hear the answer too.

"No, not like that. I don't know him in person."

"Then how come?"

"You're an Uchiha, aren't you?"

"Yeah, he's-"

"Naruto." Sasuke stopped him. "Let me. Yes, I'm an Uchiha. How do you know?"

Tsunade smirked. "I know an Uchiha when I see one."

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged glances at this. This woman was either really wise, or really _crazy_.

Tsunade let out a relatively loud laugh. "Pfft, calm down brats. I saw it on the label of your cargo. But still, you look like Itachi. I would've known anyway."

"Don't say that kind of shit! I was starting to think you finally turned crazy- Ouch!" Tsunade cuffed Naruto's neck, making the blond curse under his breath.

"Is that how you speak to your elders, Naruto?" Sasuke said as he watched the two amusedly.

Tsunade nodded in approval. "Finally someone who has some manners. Welcome to town, Sasuke. Don't let Naruto irritate you much," Tsunade ruffled Naruto's hair before going back to her office.


	2. You Might Think

After Sasuke signed the papers to receive cargo, they carried the boxes to Naruto's car. His parents had obviously somehow managed to fit all his clothes in one big box, and considering Sasuke had worked at Macy's, it wasn't an easy job. Before coming here, Sasuke had cleaned out his apartment and packed most of his stuff or gave them away to make it easier for his mom. One of the boxes carried his violin, but he didn't know which one and didn't want to risk damaging it, so he insisted they wouldn't put the boxes back in the trunk. When they were finally done finding a good and safe way to place the boxes in the backseat, their arms were sore and Sasuke had a few scratches despite his best efforts to not harm his sensitive skin.

"Man, there must be a corpse in that box. It's a miracle they made it all the way from California." Naruto said and rolled his sleeves down, stretching his back afterward.

"I'm moving here. Of course they were heavy. Don't act like you carried a full coffin."

"A full coffin would be lighter for God's sake." He rubbed his left eye with his fingers and stopped when the traffic light turned red. "What is so precious in those boxes that we had to secure them anyway?

Sasuke bit on his bottom lip before answering. "My violin."

Naruto let out an amazed gasp. "You play?"

"Why would I have it if I didn't play?" Sasuke responded. A loud car horn beep was heard behind them. "Move already you idiot. You're making people wait."

Naruto chuckled embarrassedly and didn't make Sasuke repeat or rage the elder man further he saw in the rear-view mirror. They crossed the bridge again (Sasuke decided it parted the town in two) and turned right before the elementary school building. "Would let me hear you play one day? I'm a good listener." Naruto said.

Sasuke sighed. "Maybe. You have to earn it."

"Eh? How?"

"Hm," Sasuke hummed. "Find a way. I don't want to tire myself thinking about it."

"You asshole! That's not fair at all!"

"Of course it isn't," Sasuke smirked and got out of the car, aware of the blond gawking at him. He had drained his good manners for the day. The blond was not that irritating as a person, but it felt nice to tease him just for the hell of it.

"Is that how you pay me back for all the things I've done for you today?" Naruto pouted as they started to carry the boxes to the front porch. "I even bought you lunch."

"Yes, and which is why I haven't asked you to shut up yet. This is how I'm paying back."

He heard Naruto put the box down with this. "Apologize. Right now."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because I've been nothing but nice to you. And you're treating me like a piece of shit. Apologize right now."

Sasuke put the box down securely and turned around, pacing toward Naruto. His dark blue eyes were dangerously narrowed. Never once in his life he had someone saying this. They had all apologized themselves even when clearly Sasuke was the one in fault, and basically, sucked his ass for attention. Fake people came with fake personalities, fake morals, and no pride. This one had more than that.

He hissed harshly and cast a glance over the angry blond. Licking his dry lips, he took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

"Good. Now let me carry these quickly so the princess can finally be alone like he desperately wants so." Without another word, Naruto hoisted the heavy box, causing his muscles to strain and look swelled. His coat was in the car and his t-shirt seemed too thin for Sasuke to even consider wearing in this weather. Actually, Sasuke was impressed by how Naruto still didn't refuse to help him.

"I don't have a key," Sasuke said to Naruto.

"What am I supposed to do? Breastfeed you until your brother comes back?"

Sasuke stopped himself from rolling his eyes. "I said I'm sorry. Stop acting like a child."

Naruto didn't answer. He ran a hand through his messy, shiny hair and stepped out of the porch. "There's a key under the mat."

Sasuke blinked. "What?"

"There's a ke—"

"No. I've heard you. Why does the Mayor have a _fucking_ key under his _fucking_ doormat? And how do you know about it?"

Naruto shrugged. "He gave it to me. I put it there after you slammed the door in my face."

"…You really are an idiot, aren't you?" He couldn't believe how stupid the man was. What if someone would break in? What if they would steal the probably top-secret documents?

Naruto's eyes darkened for a second. He took a step closer to Sasuke, into his personal space, and cast a confrontal glance. "I never said doormat."

"What?" Sasuke knit his eyebrows.

"It's under the _fucking_ yoga mat, which is hidden under that _fucking_ shoe cabinet," he pointed to the small, wooden object with his index finger. "Get your facts right before spilling your shit to me."

With that, Naruto left without looking back.

Sasuke stared.

He was in shock. In deep, utter shock. He had accused the blond of being an idiot so many times and acted like a total douchebag when all Naruto had ever done was being nice and friendly. The guilt washed over his body, leaving his lips trembling. He gulped and turned right to see if he could catch Naruto before he went inside his house, but it was already too late. Sasuke closed a hand on his mouth, trying to think of what to do. There wasn't much to do, actually. He would apologize tomorrow, and mean it. Doing it right now seemed pointless since Naruto seemed very mad at him rightfully. After he got the key, which was placed very cleverly under the yoga mat (why did Itachi have a yoga mat again?), he went inside and decided to do some work to clear up his mind. He was absolutely sure his mothers would be very disappointed in him if they'd seen how rude of a person he'd turned out. Foster and biologic. Both.

* * *

By the time Itachi was home, Sasuke had already unpacked and written a short advertisement for a contest held by a famous cheese company. The prize was $200. It was a good amount for a guy without a job, and it hadn't taken much time to write an impressive 200-word entry. A dollar for a word.

"Welcome home."

Itachi politely nodded and hung his coat, taking a seat next to Sasuke after. Sasuke was watching a documentary about penguins. "How was your day?"

Sasuke managed to smile. "Good. How was yours?"

"Pretty much normal. Government work is never easy, but someone has to do it." Itachi smoothed his long, dark hair and looked around the room. "Are you hungry? I was guessing Naruto would buy you lunch. He likes to treat people."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "He does that with everyone?"

"Not everyone. With people who genuinely likes. There's no way you wouldn't understand it if he didn't like you." He leaned back and closed his eyes. Sasuke noted that he looked tired. With the corner of his eye, he checked the time on his laptop that was standing on the coffee table. It read 6:21.

"…I'm not hungry. Do you want me to prepare you something?"

Itachi smiled, but his eyes kept closed. Sasuke remembered seeing a face resembling Itachi's everytime he looked in the mirror. A strange feeling it was, but a good strange. "No, but thank you for asking. I would be a lousy brother if I asked you to do that."

"Not really." Sasuke shrugged. "I don't really know how to cook. But I'm not helpless. I wouldn't feel forced if you asked me to do it. Brotherhood is mutual, you know."

"Mm. You're a good person, Sasuke. I was really scared my brother would be a stuck up jerk." He stood up and started walking toward the kitchen. "Would you like some tea?"

"Sure. You need help?"

"No. Don't worry about it. I'll let you know when it's ready," Itachi said tiredly before opening the kitchen door and disappearing out of sight. Sasuke sighed deeply, staring at his wallpaper. He had the original wallpaper that came with it when he'd first bought the laptop. It wasn't a very appealing sight, but he couldn't come up with anything better. Itachi's words resounded in his mind. _You're a good person._

He didn't think he was a bad one. Nobody really would, would they? He didn't rape children or kill old people. But was that really all there is to be considered a good person? _Stuck up jerk,_ Itachi had said. Without a doubt, that was the definition of how he was with Naruto today. The guy had a good heart, wanted to spend his limited time off with his friend's brother and possibly make a new friend, but Sasuke couldn't help himself and made the guy regret his decision in the end. His friends back in California were used to how he was: Cold and distant. A bastard. Maybe he had went too far with this one. Or maybe he wasn't taking in all these as well as he thought. Itachi didn't seem to realize that he was off, but then again, the guy didn't know anything about him yet.

This made Sasuke wonder what he knew about Itachi. Of course, they had talked about a few things last night. What they liked, what irritated them. Their favorites. He was willing to tell Itachi about all this because he was his brother. But he was also sure that knowing their interests wasn't equal to knowing a person. Itachi could be suffering from cancer for all he knew and he would just think it's tiredness if he noticed something off.

His thoughts were interrupted with Itachi calling out his name to announce that tea was ready. He got up from the couch with the help of the armchair and rubbed his tired eyes. He didn't lack sleep, he was just tired emotionally.

"What's wrong with your arm?" Sasuke heard Itachi's deep voice as soon as he entered the kitchen.

"My… arm?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Yes. It looks red," he put the teapot down and got closer to take a better look at it. "I can see scratches from here."

Sasuke checked his arm to confirm his thoughts about the scars. "They happened while we carried the boxes."

"We?" Itachi questioned while he gently touched Sasuke's back to lead him. They both sat down on the comfy chairs with red cushions, matching the room perfectly.

"We did it with Naruto," Sasuke mumbled and took a sip from his black tea. "Tea's good."

Itachi nodded in acknowledgement. "You should've told me to send someone. They must've been heavy if you got injured."

"A couple of scratches is all. I'm not injured."

"Are you sure? There's an emergency kit—"

"I'm fine," Sasuke said in a soothing tone. He didn't want to take his anger on his brother who was just doing his job and worrying about him.

Itachi didn't resist any further and let Sasuke silently drink his warm tea. It was just how he liked it. "Can I… ask you a few things?" He said after a couple of minutes.

"Sure." Itachi stood up to pour some more of the delicious tea into their empty cups.

"How close are you and Naruto?"

"Hm," Itachi sat back down and crossed his legs. "I'd say pretty much. I hope you don't take offense with this, but he's like a brother to me."

"I see," he fidgeted. He was starting to feel a bit dizzy. Probably because he hadn't eaten much today. He reached for the sugar cubes that neither of them seemed to like and dropped one in his tea. Sugar wasn't his favorite thing, but he didn't want to eat anything right now. This would hopefully help him feel better. "When are you gonna tell me about what happened to our parents and why they gave me away?" He gulped loudly. He wasn't sure if he was crossing a line, but he had right to know. "I looked around for pictures yesterday. Couldn't see any."

Itachi looked away from Sasuke. He fixed his gaze on the stove but he didn't seem like he was really looking at it. "It's still too early for that," he mumbled. "I promise I will tell you someday. But for now, all I can offer you is a family photograph and maybe tell you about what kind of people they were. I have a couple more, actually. But seeing them all at once is probably not a good idea."

He took their half-empty cups and placed them in the sink. "Follow me."

Sasuke tried to suppress his nervousness as he chewed on his lip, walking behind Itachi to his room.

* * *

When he made it through the door, he noticed that Itachi's room was a lot simpler than his own. A single bed with crisp, white sheets caught his attention. As far as he knew, Itachi didn't have a girlfriend/wife, but he wondered if the stoic man never had one night stands either. Maybe he just used the other guest room for getting laid. The other option, he just wasn't into sex. Like Sasuke.

He shrugged and looked around a bit more. There was no books or anything work related. What surprised him was the PS4 lying on the ground. "You play video games?" The words left his mouth before he could stop.

"I do. We all need to relax one way or another," he sent Sasuke a smirk. "I'd be more than happy to move it downstairs so we can play together if you're interested."

"Okay," Sasuke answered without even thinking. The thought of playing Call of Duty with his _brother_ was too good to resist.

"Moving on to serious matters." Itachi opened the white door of what seemed like a closet room. He came out of the dark after about 30 seconds. He held a single photograph in his hand. "Sit down, Sasuke. For your own good."

Sasuke obeyed his brother and took a seat on the bed. The mattress felt softer under him. He waited for Itachi to slowly and cautiously sit down next to him. Itachi simply held out the photograph for Sasuke to take.

Sasuke sharply inhaled when he took it from Itachi with shaky fingers. His eyes were tight shut. He felt Itachi put a hand on his shoulder for support. He wasn't entirely sure if he was ready for this, but he wanted to see. Finally, he managed to slowly open his eyes and see what his parents looked like.

There were four people. Sasuke recognized himself immediately, being the smallest and the most cheerful one. He was standing in front of Itachi, his head was just below the level of Itachi's belly. He had the biggest smile on his face, one he'd never seen on himself. Itachi looked a lot happier than he was right now, too.

Then, he looked at the unfamiliar two people. The man had a stoic expression very similar to Itachi's. And probably his. But he had his arm around the woman next to him, which was Sasuke's mother. She looked very happy to have her husband and two sons with her. It was written all over her face. She was wearing a red dress that suited her so well. A thumb ran over the shiny piece of paper, over the woman's face. Two teardrops fell. Three.

Sasuke wasn't sure when he'd started crying. Next thing he knew, the paper was snatched away from his hand and he was pulled into a crushing hug. He sobbed into Itachi's shoulder as the older man rubbed his back soothingly. Sasuke cried a lot. Something inside was aching so hard, and he just wanted it to stop because it was hurting so fucking bad.

After a while, Sasuke calmed down a bit. He'd tilted his head to listen to Itachi's heartbeat. The comforting scent and welcoming warmth coming from his brother helped Sasuke turn back to reality. Still, he didn't want to pull back. Not yet.

He tightened his arms around Itachi's waist and nuzzled into his dress shirt that was soaked with tears now. "We look happy." His voice was hoarse.

A warm hand started to gently stroke his raven hair, occasionally stopping to massage a certain part or move down to his face and caress a spot with a thumb. "We were happy."

Sasuke had no strength to say anything else so he closed his tired eyes and let his brother console him. He may have lost his parents, but he still had a brother to take care of him, and he would return the favor.

"I swear to God, Sasuke, I will protect you no matter what." Itachi's voice was coated with agony. "Forgive me for being a terrible brother until now." Itachi pressed his lips to Sasuke's temple as he kept rubbing Sasuke's back.

Unfortunately, Sasuke only had strength to briefly nod before losing conscience.

* * *

When Sasuke awoke with a yawn, he was feeling much better than yesterday. He cracked an eye open and looked around, only to find himself in his own room, which meant Itachi had carried him. It probably wasn't that easy to carry a man around his own weight, but Itachi had muscles. Sasuke had clearly felt them under his touch last night.

He rubbed his face and kicked the duvet off of himself. Back in California, he was fine with a comforter, but it was relatively colder in here. He'd needed to practically cocoon himself when he'd woken up sometime around midnight.

A yawn escaped his mouth again while he made the bed, barely able to pick up the heavy duvet. He smoothed it before taking his clothes off and heading for the shower. The tub looked appealing too, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to take a bath now. But he definitely would need one some day. He also noted that his eyes looked a bit swollen in the mirror.

After showering, he pulled on a fresh pair of designer jeans and a dark red, plaid shirt on a black t-shirt. Without bothering to preen his hair, he dried it with a towel and opened the door to go downstairs. His hair always looked good without trying _anyway_.

Itachi was sipping on a warm cup of coffee and reading a newspaper. When he heard Sasuke's footsteps, he looked up warily to see if Sasuke was doing okay after breaking down last night.

"Good morning," Sasuke glanced at Itachi before taking the seat next to him. Itachi looked better than yesterday, obvious that he'd gotten a good night's sleep.

"Morning." Itachi put the newspaper down. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Sasuke dismissed with a shrug. He really did feel better, so it's not like he was lying to his brother. "I see you have Sundays off."

"Mm. I have paperwork to do, but I prefer to do them at home. You never really get a time off when you're the mayor, small town or not." He got up to get more coffee for Sasuke and himself, but Sasuke followed him to the kitchen.

"Should I get us something to eat? Sandwiches or something like that."

"If you feel like it. You don't have to." He put his mug down and took out a clean one for Sasuke, turning around to face him. "There's a cafe just around the corner. You wanna go alone? I can come with you if you want."

"Itachi," Sasuke cleared his throat. "Please don't get me wrong, but I'm 23. Perfectly capable of getting a sandwich on my own. Thank you for being so considerate, but I'm fine."

Itachi hummed something Sasuke couldn't understand. "Right. I'm sorry, Sasuke. I'm just trying to be a good brother. I guess I've… forgotten the basics of it."

Sasuke averted his eyes. Maybe Itachi had gotten away with forgetting about it, but Sasuke didn't know how to be a good brother at all. He ended up awkwardly patting Itachi's shoulder before asking what kind of sandwich he'd like, found his jacket and wallet and left the house.

He thought he heard a familiar voice coming from the house next to Itachi's. He looked around to detect the source, but he couldn't see Naruto anywhere. He figured he was letting the guilt make him imagine things. After breakfast, he would go and offer a proper apology to the blond for being such an asshole. His personality or not, he had crossed the line yesterday and he was very well aware of it. Proves right that you should never take things for granted. Kind, friendly and good-looking blonds included.

When he saw Naruto casually chatting with a kid, he was returning home with a brown paper bag that held a broiled tomato sandwich and a grilled cheese one. He stopped in his tracks for a moment, surprised to see the man laughing and occasionally ruffling the kid's hair that looked like a student of his. But he wasn't sure since he hadn't asked which grades he was teaching.

Naruto stopped laughing and sent the kid off his way when he noticed Sasuke walking toward himself. He made a move to walk away, but Sasuke stopped him. "Naruto. Wait."

Naruto made a spiteful sound and folded his arms. He had a deep frown on his face. Sasuke suddenly realized that despite his friendly and easygoing personality, Naruto was someone who would stand his ground no matter what. "Morning, asshole. Here to spit your daily dose of insults?"

"I'm here to apologize," Sasuke thought it was better to cut to the chase. "I know that I was being a real douche yesterday. I'm sorry."

"Hm. Care to explain why you were being like that?" He tapped his foot impatiently. Sasuke took a breath and his gaze shifted to the orange sweatpants Naruto was wearing. A tiny bit of contrast with his hair wouldn't be so bad. Dark colored skinny jeans, for example.

"Look. I can't help it. It's my personality. I crossed some lines yesterday, I know. And I'm here to apologize."

Naruto rubbed his lips together. He looked like he was thinking something. Hands in his pockets. "Okay."

Sasuke glared and tightened his grip on the paper bag. "Okay?"

They exchanged looks before Naruto decided to break the gaze and look around. "I know that it's your personality, Sasuke. I wasn't expecting you to change that. You're not an elementary school student I'm supposed to teach how to behave. You're welcome to be as sarcastic as you want, but the minute you start to insult me for real, you're out. Am I making myself clear?"

"Yes." Sasuke nodded. Naruto was being totally honest with him, which Sasuke found really refreshing and something worth trying to befriend Naruto for. "So…" He raked a hand through his dark locks. "Are we good?"

"We're good." Naruto's expression was softened now, although he wasn't exactly smiling goofily like he did yesterday.

"You…" Sasuke found it very hard to ask something like that, but he knew Naruto wouldn't take a step now if he didn't. "You want to do something today?"

Suddenly, Naruto started to laugh. "God, you're hilarious when you're struggling with social interactions."

"Fine. I'm gonna spare you this laugh and leave—"

"Wait, bastard. Okay, I'm not gonna laugh."

"Hey, how come you get to call me 'bastard' and I don't get to call you 'idiot'?" He narrowed his eyes dangerously.

Naruto stuck his pink tongue out amusedly. "Think of it as a pet name. Yours, however, comes out like an insult."

"Hm," Sasuke smirked. "I can make it sound like a pet name if you want."

"I don't know. Give it a try?" Naruto was grinning now. The tension between them was gone, leaving Sasuke relaxed.

"Tsk, _idiot_." Sasuke found himself actually liking this. "How was it?"

"You sounded like a dying horse but it didn't sound insulting. Now, my princess. From now on, you're allowed to call me 'idiot'."

"Gee, _thank you_ ," Sasuke said sarcastically.

"You're welcome. So, about hanging out today." Naruto coughed lightly.

"That's what happens when you go out wearing nothing but a short-sleeved t-shirt just for the sake of talking to an 8-year-old."

"He's 9," Naruto coughed again. "And I'm fine. It's nothing. Anyway, I have some stuff to do today. But you can tag along if you want to."

"Are you sure? I don't want to keep you from anything. Besides, if you're worried about me being alone, Itachi's home today."

Naruto raised a light eyebrow. "You suggested that we'd hang out. Why'd you make it sound like I'm the one who's worried?"

Sasuke shrugged. "You seem like the type of guy who would worry about others."

"Is that a compliment?" Naruto snickered. A laughing Naruto was definitely much better than a sulking, angry one. Sasuke would need this information for the future.

"Maybe. I should head back. Itachi's waiting," he held out the brown bag to show Naruto. "Let me know when you're going out."

"Will do. Sasuke?"

"What now?" Sasuke feigned annoyance. However, the smirk plastered on his face was enough to give him away.

"I'm glad you're not really an asshole." Naruto smiled. It was not an amused or cheeky one. It was a genuine, happy smile that was enough to create a warm feeling in Sasuke's chest. For the first time in forever, Sasuke felt that he wanted to be close friends with someone.

"I'm glad you're not really an idiot," Sasuke said and watched Naruto laughing at himself and walking back to his house before he remembered Itachi was still waiting for him.

* * *

They had eaten their sandwiches while watching some morning show on TV, but mostly not paying attention and talking between themselves. The more they talked, the more Sasuke felt at ease next to him. A blood tie wasn't enough to get them close to each other. They had to make an effort and build a bridge between them.

"Do you like Jimmy Kimmel?" Sasuke asked haphazardly. He was sitting in an armchair, his legs hanging off the armrest and he had his laptop sitting on his lap, looking through his e-mails to see if anything would pique his interest.

Itachi shrugged and looked up from the papers that he was going through on the coffee table. "He usually keeps me company at night. He's like my roommate by now."

Sasuke snorted at this. "I bet he'd like to hear that too. Why don't you tweet him?"

"Hm. Does that tweet count as a good one or a potential mean one?"

"Depends on how much you appreciate his humor." He clicked on one that said 'Looking for someone to write a fictional story'. He read the rules. It looked simple enough. 5 thousand words, basic language. It paid well, too. What he didn't know was…

"…What does 'hentai' mean?" he completed his thoughts out loud.

Itachi barked out a laugh that was uncharacteristic of him and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It's Japanese for 'pervert'. Although, depending on what site you're looking at right now," Sasuke's eyes widened. "It might mean anime that includes porn."

"…Definitely skipping this one," he mumbled to himself.

"I'm surprised you don't know its meaning, Sasuke."

"What does that mean?" Sasuke glared at Itachi furiously.

Itachi kept speaking as he skimmed over and signed a paper. "Most porn sites have that as a category."

Sasuke hissed. Was this a topic he wanted to discuss with his _fucking_ brother? It was a fact that he didn't watch porn. So what if he wasn't interested in a plotless movie that people did nothing but fuck like rabbits in heat? "Good for them."

Itachi didn't pry further, possibly have gotten the message. Sasuke scrolled down, finding most of them stupid, and a few of them he'd actually liked didn't pay much so it wasn't worth the pain.

Just when he decided to check out some random playlists on YouTube, the doorbell rang. Itachi made a move to get up, but Sasuke was faster. Naruto was now (thankfully) dressed in dark blue jeans, turquoise t-shirt and sneakers. "Hi." Naruto raised a hand and greeted Sasuke.

"Hey," Sasuke greeted back with a nod. "Wanna come in?"

"Oh, now I get to pass the threshold? Lovely!" Naruto grinned at Sasuke before walking past him toward Itachi. "Give me a break. You're working on a Sunday," Naruto hugged Itachi who was waiting for him with open arms.

"Unluckily some of us have to work," said Itachi, and let go of Naruto. Sasuke was watching the two with curious, inquiring eyes.

"Your undereye bags look like shit. You wanna come to the spa with us?"

"Wait. I wasn't informed about a spa," Sasuke interrupted them. They both turned to Sasuke, looking caught off guard for a second. Like, they'd forgotten his existence.

"Heh, we can just drop Itachi off and go on our way too. The princess probably—"

"Naruto." Sasuke stopped him before he could humiliate Sasuke more in front of his brother. "I think that's enough. Where are we going?"

"Minneapolis. I need to buy some stuff for Friday." Naruto's tone was clear of humor, but he had a faint smile on his face.

"Are you having a party?" He raised an eyebrow.

"You wish," Naruto exchanged glances with Itachi. "Not this week. We have this… graduation type of event. For 8th graders. I'm not teaching them right now, but most of them are my former students and I'm willing to organize the day. Therefore, I need to buy party supplies."

"What do you expect me to do?"

"I don't know. Stick around? Shop? We're going to a huge supermarket that sells literally all kinds of stuff. Itachi, give him a shopping list."

"I don't have a shopping list," Itachi replied.

"Make one then! Sasuke, go wear something thicker. That jacket will not keep you warm." Naruto started to push Sasuke gently to the stairs.

"Who says you can order me around?" Sasuke angrily pushed Naruto's hands away. He felt like they were trying to get him out of the room so they could talk about him. Itachi did nothing to prove him wrong, so his theory was probably correct.

"I'm not ordering around. I don't want you to get cold."

"Tsk. Fine." Sasuke finally said to stop the blond. Who knows what he would do if he didn't. The next thing he knew, Naruto would be pushing him to his closet to pick a coat.

He quickly climbed the stairs and opened the door of his closet room. He pushed the light switch and started to look for a coat to wear. A black trenchcoat would do fine, so he put it on and went downstairs.

Itachi and Naruto were sitting together on the couch, looking at something on Naruto's phone and laughing. He knew he wasn't meant to get jealous. Naruto was always here for Itachi when he wasn't. Still, he couldn't stop himself from feeling a pang of jealousy at the sight of two men laughing.

"I'm ready if you are," he called to Naruto, trying to make his voice sound as natural as possible. With a hand, he checked his pockets for his wallet and phone. The keys of the house were there too, but Itachi would be home anyway.

"Sure. Itachi, see ya later," he put a hand on Itachi's shoulder and stood up. "Let's go, little one."

"Now you call me little one? I swear to God, if you don't settle for only one name, I'll start calling you very disturbing ones. And aren't you supposed to teach your students that calling names is bad?"

"I guess I am a lousy teacher after all," Naruto waited for Sasuke to wave goodbye to Itachi and followed him out the door.

Funny thing was, neither saw Itachi smirking knowingly behind them.

* * *

"Do you have a shopping list?" Sasuke broke the silence. He was sitting in the passenger seat, legs crossed and a bored expression on his face. Naruto at least had a steering wheel to pay attention to while Sasuke was tired of watching trees a long time ago.

"Nah. I trust my instincts to pick the right stuff."

Sasuke sighed wearily. "We're gonna be there for hours, aren't we?"

"It depends. Don't you have anything to buy?" Naruto glanced at Sasuke for a second.

"I don't think so. Maybe I'll remember when I see it."

"There's a manga section. I've heard that you're interested in Hentai." He tried to suppress a snicker but failed, and started to laugh rather loudly when he saw Sasuke's face.

"Dammit, Itachi. Remind me to never ask him anything again."

"You can ask me instead. Trust me, I'll never, _ever_ tell Itachi about it."

Sasuke punched Naruto's arm not so lightly.

Naruto punched back.

Sasuke raised his fist to do something, but he realized he was too young to die in a car crash and retreated his hand.

"What? Too baby to hit me?"

"I won't even dignify that with an answer," said Sasuke. He reached out and turned the radio on. Some club music started to play and the speakers began to sizzle. "Any good stations you know?"

"Press 6. That's a good one."

He did, and Bastille's Dan Smith started to sing the chorus of 'Bad Blood'. Sasuke shrugged listlessly. "I can live with that."

"Wait until they start playing Justin Bieber. That's when it gets real good."

Sasuke made a move to turn it off. Naruto blocked it.

"Relax, I'm kiddin'. No Justin Bieber."

"You have a terrible sense of humor."

"That's what he said!"

"He?" Sasuke smirked.

Naruto's huge grin faded and left a serious expression on his tanned features. He blinked, making his golden eyelashes flutter. His blue eyes were holding something that resembled insecurity, but his voice was confident when he spoke. "You have a problem with that?"

"No. I don't." Sasuke briefly answered. He'd had homosexual friends in the past. Even co-workers. As long as they didn't hit on him with cheesy pick-up lines, he was fine with that. "Can I ask you something, though?"

Naruto's posture stiffened and a line appeared between his brows. "Okay."

Sasuke momentarily felt bad about making Naruto nervous. It would be very realistic for Naruto to think Sasuke would ask something disturbing. That was not his intention though. "Isn't it difficult to… be gay in a small town? My friend, Suigetsu. He had a very hard time getting out of the closet in high school, and we were in California. They say Northern states are more conservative. You probably know better than I do."

Naruto licked his lips, drawing Sasuke's attention to his tongue before speaking. "Not really. I understand why you'd think that. There are always assholes giving you a hard time, but most people are more informed now. Old people are the worst ones, but my grandad was always very supportive. And the town knows me, they know what kind of person I am. I'm pretty sure no one thinks ill of me. Even if they do, they don't spit it to me. Thankfully."

Sasuke was relieved to hear these. He didn't know Naruto that well, but he was glad to hear he was happy living here, without people bullying him about this.

Naruto cleared his throat awkwardly. "I wanna confess something, but don't get me wrong."

"Go ahead."

"Promise you won't hit me."

"I won't hit you. As long as it's not about that hentai shit."

Naruto chuckled. "No. Okay. I'm gonna be honest with you. I thought you were gay." He checked Sasuke's reaction before going on. "But when you asked if it's difficult, I realized you're not. Are you?" He still didn't look too sure.

Sasuke raised a thin eyebrow at this. What on Earth could make Naruto think that Sasuke was gay? "And what made you think that?"

"I'm guessing you're not since you're saying that."

"You guessed before too. Answer the question." Sasuke wasn't mad, but intrigued. In fact, he had a handful of people saying that before. They'd never given a satisfying answer when he'd asked why.

Naruto hit the brakes, waiting for the traffic light to turn green and started to tap his fingers on the wheel. "I dunno. The vibes you're giving? Instinct?"

"Your instincts are unreliable."

"Don't say that," Naruto stuck out his bottom lip like a child. "I honestly don't have an answer. I'm not evading the question. Sorry."

Sasuke started to rub his forehead to ease the pressure. He just wanted an answer, dammit. But he could see Naruto was being nothing but honest.

Rest of the ride was silent except the soft music playing that sounded like it was from the 80's. Naruto parked the car when they arrived at the gigantic shopping center and they got out. The rain was drizzling now, dampening their hair. They hurried inside to stay dry as much as possible, because who wanted to shop soaking wet?

Sasuke waited for Naruto to pick a shopping cart. Sasuke figured the broadest ones obviously piqued Naruto's interest from the way he practically sprinted to them. "You know, I could sit in this. It would have no problem carrying me," Naruto said when Sasuke approached.

"You also know I'll pretend that I don't know you if you do that, right?"

"Heh. As if you could ignore a bombshell blonde like me."

"Trust me, I'm _very_ good at ignoring people." Sasuke retorted before pushing Naruto out of the way and taking a hold on the cart. They started to slowly walk, blankly eyeing the goods on the shelves before Sasuke finally remembered why they were here. "What are we buying first?"

"Hmm," Naruto lifted his head to look at the ceiling as if it would inspire him, but had to look down when the strong lights threatened to blind him. "Balloons. Definitely balloons."

He put an arm around Sasuke's shoulders, leading the raven to the section where they sold party supplies. Or that was what Sasuke thought. When he focused on the shelves to help Naruto pick balloons, he realized he was staring at mangas that promised very explicit content on their covers.

Naruto started to laugh uncontrollably, only to get hit behind the head. "Idiot. You're wasting my time."

"But these are good, Sasuke. Pick one out. I'll buy it for you," Naruto urged him to look at the half-naked woman drawings by pushing him from the back.

"What's the purpose of these anyway? And what if kids are around?" He averted his gaze to look around for any underage children.

"Nah. Relax. Parents are aware of this section. _Mostly_ ," he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I've heard some want these gone, but they sell well."

"I bet you're one of the people who are addicted to these. Now please let us go."

"You didn't even look at them properly. How come you don't like them? And you're Japanese."

Sasuke hissed. This was getting irritating. He didn't want to look at naked, beautiful woman making out with impossibly hot guys, and that was that. If the blond wanted to look, Sasuke would wait for him. Sure, he appreciated the art. But he was not interested in carving the dirty images to his mind. And what did being Japanese had to do with this anyway?

"I'm going, you racist weirdo. You can look as much as you want. I'll be at the book section."

With that, he started to walk, leaving the cart and a gaping Naruto behind. It wasn't long before he heard the sound of rolling wheels and a puffing Naruto behind him. "You're no fun."

"Hn." Sasuke looked up to see the signs to find where the actual party supplies were. He was afraid that if he asked Naruto, he would find himself looking at discounted boxes of Kleenex this time.

They picked out a few things on the way. Naruto put a couple of bags of chips in the cart. Sasuke opted to buy some tea that he'd never tried before.

When they finally made it to the party supplies, they were almost tired. The supermarket was bigger than Sasuke had thought. "How many of them do you need?"

"Um, 200?" Naruto scratched his cheek in confusion. "I'm not sure."

Sasuke shook his head and narrowed his eyes in deep focus. "You could buy 500 and use it for other events. I'm sure you have lots of them, right?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Makes sense. And it's cheaper… I think." He started to calculate the prices with his fingers, but ended up messing it up.

"Cheaper by $7, yes." Sasuke helped him out. "You need to work on your maths skills."

"Hey, I teach history. I don't need maths." He refused.

"Whatever," Sasuke dismissed. "What next?" He asked as Naruto took the big box of balloons and put it in the cart.

"Confetti?"

"I've seen some that way. Come on," Sasuke pushed the cart, leading the way. "Don't ask me how many of them you need to buy, because I don't know."

Naruto snorted. "Weren't you mister know-it-all? How come you don't know this?"

"Because I'm not a babysitter."

"They are not babies!" Naruto folded his arms angrily. Sasuke turned around to look at Naruto. The strong lights were making his unruly hair shine so much that Sasuke could swear they were radiating light themselves.

"So protective of your students. I'm hoping you're protective of your friends that much, too."

"Of course I am!" Naruto forgot about his anger and beamed at Sasuke. "Sasuke?"

"Hm?" Sasuke checked the price of a brand.

"Do you wanna come to this? You probably won't have too much fun, but we have students who'll perform. And an old friend of mine who went to high school with me. She's a singer now. Not a very popular one yet, but she agreed to sing a couple of songs. What do you say? You won't hurt me if you say no, though."

Sasuke took a deep breath. The thought of watching a bunch of teenagers wasn't very appealing, but he would see the school Itachi had gone, and it wasn't like he had better plans for Friday. "Fine. I'll come."

"Really?" Naruto put his hands together excitedly. "I'll introduce you to my friends. And oh, we might even decide to go out. You could come with us."

Sasuke rubbed his face. "I don't know, Naruto. I don't wanna be the stranger when you all know each other."

"No! They're all friendly people. You'll see," Naruto smiled. "I'm so glad you agreed to come. You can play your violin if you want. I can arrange the program."

"Don't push it, Naruto." Sasuke finally decided to buy six cheap confettis and put them in the cart without asking Naruto. The blond didn't seem to mind anyway. "If you're done, let's go."

"Yeah, I guess. There's no place where you can buy," he looked at the cart to check. "500 balloons in Stillwater. These will last us for a long time. I'm gonna ask you to come with me whenever I need to shop from now on. Thanks, Sasuke."

"Anytime. Don't take this too literal, though."

"Sure. Before I forget, there's something else I need to buy." Said Naruto and led them down the incredibly long fruits section, toward the checkouts. "Here we go."

"…I hope you're not buying these for your students." Sasuke managed to utter while he looked at shelves full of all kinds of flavored lubes.

"Nope. Honestly, when I was 14, I was just looking for a random hole to put my dick in. Too horny to even think about using lube," he grinned at Sasuke and put two random bottles in the cart, along with the other stuff they'd bought. Judging from the way he selected, Sasuke guessed the blond was very open to experimenting. At least, in lube.

"No condoms?"

"Umm. No. I'm not in a relationship right now. Which means I don't get laid." Naruto nervously chuckled and started to push the cart with more force than he needed to, making Sasuke walk faster to catch up.

When turning around the corner, somehow Naruto tripped. It happened so fast that before Sasuke knew what happened, Naruto was sitting on the floor, holding his left ankle and moaning in pain.

"Naruto!" He kneeled and put a hand on Naruto's knee. "Let me see."

"I'm fine, it's nothin'. Just help me get up," he reached out to Sasuke.

Unsure if he was supposed to do something, Sasuke took Naruto by the hand and helped him to get on his feet. It was fine, he was still walkin—

"Ow. Ow ow ow."

Too soon to decide how fine he was. "Let me see, idiot. Raise your foot."

This time, Naruto complied without question, an arm around Sasuke's shoulders for support. Sasuke gently tugged the leg of his jeans up to see if it was bruised.

"It looks fine, but you're not supposed to walk." He rolled the fabric down. "Get in the cart."

"What?" Naruto seemed confused. "For real?"

"This is the last time you'll ever hear me say this. Get in the cart, Naruto."

"Wow, I can't believe you're convinced to do this." Sasuke rolled his eyes and helped the blond sit next to the boxes. It took some effort, and definitely some nerves to ignore weird stares thrown their way. "Comfortable?"

"Not really. The sticks hurt my ass."

"Remind me to never listen to you say that again," Sasuke retorted. They looked really stupid, that was for sure. But was it more important than Naruto's health? He didn't think so.

"Now all I need is a Fruity Pops and I can be 5 again," Naruto sing-songed. He did look childish sitting in a shopping cart.

"Please. You look 5 now. That would make you look 2."

"Shut up you bastard. I'm having fun."

"Tch."

The checkouts didn't have a line, and Sasuke quickly gave the items to the cashier who looked uncertain between watching the blond adult sitting in a cart and actually doing her work and checking them out. "His ankle sprained," Sasuke pointed at Naruto to explain, who was busy playing Candy Crush on his phone, uninterested in what's going on.

When he heard Sasuke refer to him, he looked up and grinned at the cashier, then pulled his wallet out and gave some cash to Sasuke. "The school gave me a fund."

Sasuke took the money, noting that the girl blushed when Naruto grinned at her. He held himself back from rolling his eyes.

5 minutes later, they were trying to find Naruto's car in the crowded parking lot. The sky was significantly darker now, but the rain had stopped and they could still see the cars clearly. A light breeze touched their cheeks and necks. "Come on, how can a bright orange car be hard to find?" Said Sasuke and lightly face-palmed in annoyance.

"You're obviously not looking hard enough. Try pushing me faster. Wait, I know! Push me like, really fast. We'll look from the other side of the lot."

"I'm not playing games with you. Now shut up and lose that tiny brain of yours to find your car."

"Sasuke! You're so mean and no fun. What are you, 24? 25? And you have the soul of an old man," Naruto leaned back and started to pout. "I'll let you have one of the lubes if you push me. Even the watermelon flavored."

"Are you for real?" Sasuke sighed deeply, his breath moving strands of Naruto's hair. "I'm 23. And I'll push you if you stop talking about lube."

"Done. Now, here we go!" Naruto fisted the air and spread his arms wide, embracing the chilly air that was about to hit his chest.

Sasuke looked around for any possible witnesses before reminding himself to never do this again, and started to push. First, they were kind of slow, but as they sped up, Sasuke began to run and Naruto's cackle filled his ears. He couldn't help but snicker himself at the cheerful sound. Maybe the blond had really missed his childhood. Sasuke couldn't deny that it felt nostalgic.

When he finally decided to slow down, mostly because they were approaching to a really expensive looking shiny black car, he was out of breath. He knelt and tried to even out his breathing as Naruto was still laughing uncontrollably. "God, Sasuke. That was the funniest shit I've done for like, 4 years."

"That's, not, much," Sasuke breathed out, trying to inhale between words.

"Still. Look, there's the car. I told you we'd find it," Naruto turned around to look at Sasuke. His cheeks were flushed and his hair looked horrible. Naruto interrupted Sasuke's thoughts by running a hand and turning them back to their old state. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. I just need to, calm down," Sasuke said and with a final breath, he got on his feet.

"Good. Let's not make Itachi wait any longer. I bet he made us food."

"I'm hoping so, because that run left me starving."


	3. Dragon Night

"Naruto sat in a shopping cart and you pushed him?" Itachi asked for maybe 5th time tonight, looking completely stunned.

"Maybe we should drop the subject now," Sasuke irritatedly cried as he poked his fried chicken with his fork while his other arm rested on the table, a hand covering the left half of his face. The three were eating together in peace until Naruto had decided to bring up how he'd 'bribed' Sasuke with watermelon flavored lube to have 'fun' with him. Sure, it hadn't been boring. Maybe a little bit exciting. But now that Naruto was urging Itachi to tease Sasuke about it, and Itachi was complying his wish gladly with sardonic remarks, Sasuke was trying his best not to roll his eyes at the two grown man talking about lubing the wheels of a cart to make it slide. His gaze roamed over Naruto's bare right foot resting on a chair and the blond's laughing form which shook uncontrollably as he shoved a ridiculously big piece of chicken in his mouth.

"Sasuke's right. Now tell me Naruto, how are you planning to work tomorrow with this sprained ankle of yours?"

"S'alright. I'll just find the lotion Aunt Tsunade gave me and it'll heal in no time. Doesn't hurt much anyway. Are you eating that?" Naruto pointed to the chicken Sasuke was still throwing daggers at like his problems were its fault.

"No."

"Great," Naruto stabbed his fork into it without asking for permission, bit a piece and started chewing it. "Itachi, are you coming on Friday? To the graduation?" He asked with a full mouth. Sasuke rolled his eyes and fixed them on his empty plate this time. Manners. That's what he needed to teach Naruto before he could call him a 'teacher' without cringing at the thought.

"I'm afraid not. I have a meeting I'm expected to attend to. Maybe next time," said Itachi and offered a small smile as an apology.

"Ah. Sasuke said he's coming. I'll pick him up then. Unless he wants to walk." He tilted his head and raised his brow in a questioning manner.

Sasuke shrugged. "I'm fine with walking. Besides, aren't you supposed to pay attention to that friend of yours? The singer one."

"You mean TenTen?" Naruto exchanged glances with Itachi. "Nah, she knows this town like the back of her hand. She might be a singer and wear dresses now but she was such a tomboy back in middle school." He pushed himself off from the table with his good foot and started to rock the chair back and forth. "She _lightly_ punched me once and I swear my arm hurt for two weeks straight."

"TenTen? That's an interesting name."

"That's not her stage name, I assure you. She had weird parents is all."

Sasuke scoffed at this. "Better than having none."

A heavy silence fell upon the room. Naruto stopped rocking the chair, only to start playing with his half full glass, pushing it to make it slide on the brown kitchen table and leave wet traces on the polished surface.

"Did Naruto tell you that we used to live together?" Itachi rested his elbow on the table. It was very obvious that he was just trying to change the subject to make Sasuke feel better.

Sasuke gulped down the remaining water in his glass to calm himself. He knew Naruto and Itachi were close, but he'd never guessed they were living together at some point. "I believe not."

"I wasn't sure if that was okay," Naruto scratched his neck in earnest.

"It is. After… you were given away, I was 10 and they had to find me a guardian. Naruto's mother was kind enough to take me into her house."

Sasuke only nodded to not interrupt the story. So that had happened when they were much younger. That explained why they saw each other like brothers. Growing up together must've affected both of them.

"I don't really remember him coming in. He was always there as far as I remember." Naruto shrugged nonchalantly. His eyes were focused, no amusement in sight.

"You're at the same age with Sasuke. Of course you both don't remember anything."

"But I'm pretty sure you left me and grandad when I was 12."

Sasuke couldn't stop himself and stopped them. "Wait. Grandad? I thought you were living with your mother."

Itachi's gaze wandered over Sasuke, then Naruto. He let out a soft sigh. "This is a touchy subject for all of us, and the conversation's getting heavy. Are you sure you want to continue?"

"Let me tell the rest," Naruto spoke in a low voice. Itachi rubbed his lips together as a deep crease appeared between his dark and thin brows, but he nodded in approval anyway. He looked worried about Naruto.

Naruto cleared his throat. "Mom died when I was 9. She got, uh, sick. Jiraiya moved in with me. You know him, the one that my aunt-"

Sasuke raised a hand, stuck between wanting to grimace at the image of what Naruto had told him about his aunt and feeling sorry about Naruto's mother. "I remember her."

Naruto looked taken aback for a moment before shaking his head and looking at Itachi for him to continue.

Itachi hummed. "Well, basically what happened after that is I moved for college and Naruto lived with Jiraiya until he turned 18 and Jiraiya moved out."

Sasuke tapped his fingers on a clean part of the table. "Sorry about your mom."

"Heh. It's okay." His actions didn't say the same thing, how he started to pick at his nails and the annoying sound of the chair starting to move back and forth again. Back. Forth. Back. Forth.

"What was living like together?" Sasuke spoke to block the obnoxious noise. It was starting to get on his nerves.

"Great!" Naruto answered. His eyes were suddenly all sparkly in a way that Sasuke found awkward because, well, he had been sulking 30 seconds ago. "Itachi was the best roommate ever. I was the hyperactive brat that kept trying to distract him from his homework. He would play with me until I was bored of that too," A goofy and nostalgic smile spread across his face. "I would sneak into his room. Mostly to steal the green dinosaur he slept with. He never once yelled at me for that, let alone hitting. He just gently pried my hands away from it and took it back." He rubbed his forehead in confusion. "I'm pretty sure I've seen it in his bedroom when I slept over last month. I _swear_ he has a fixation on that."

Sasuke's eyes widened and a silent gasp escaped his open lips. Naruto was talking about _the_ dinosaur. His eyes tried to catch Itachi's onyx eyes. Itachi averted his gaze.

After coming here, Sasuke had had moments when he blamed Itachi in his mind for various stuff. Why hadn't he tried to find Sasuke sooner? Why hadn't he made an effort? Why did he forget about him? _Why?_

This… pretty much explained everything. The dinosaur wasn't in the attic like Itachi had told him, at least all the time. It was in his fricking bedroom. Itachi remembered him. Itachi cared when he wasn't here. There was no way Itachi wouldn't look for him.

"I'll be right back," Itachi suddenly got up and left without another word.

Naruto must've sensed something was wrong. He was friends with Itachi for years, after all. Sasuke eyed him as Naruto knitted his brows. "You think I said something wrong?"

"No. I'll go check on him." He put a reassuring hand on Naruto's shoulder before following Itachi, feeling Naruto's heavy gaze on his back. He checked the bathroom to see if he was there, and seeing no one, he figured the older man was in his room.

A muffled answer came when he knocked on the door thrice. He slowly pushed the door open and looked around the tidy room, closing the door gently.

"Itachi?"

"Over here," Itachi's low voice reached him from the closet room. He took hesitant steps to see what his brother was up to in the small room full of… clothes?

"What are you doing here?" The light was on, faintly illuminating its surroundings.

"I was… looking for something." He looked very off, his gaze insistent on not finding Sasuke's.

"Looking for what?" He inquired with narrowed eyes.

"Nevermind. Couldn't find it anyway," he pushed the light switch off and closed the door behind himself. "Let's go. Naruto must be waiting for us."

" _Itachi_."

"Hm?"

"Are you blaming yourself for what had happened?"

"…No."

"Look at me."

Itachi breathed out and looked at Sasuke, an indistinct smile playing on his lips. "You're worried about me."

"You told me the dinosaur was in the attic."

"It is. I moved it there when you informed me about moving here."

"You were keeping that by your side for what, 19 years? Why, Itachi?"

Itachi ran a hand through his long hair without messing his ponytail. His distressed appearance made Sasuke feel odd. Itachi was his older brother. He felt like Itachi was the strong, protective person that wouldn't show his true feelings, and he knew that he was partially right. But apparently, the wall would go thin when he was with Sasuke. Seeing him like this felt half good –because he knew they were really close- and half bad because… it sort of hurt.

"Because you're my brother. Because I _missed_ you."

Sasuke realized his hands were trembling and sweating. He blinked a few times. The knot forming in his throat was making it hard for him to breathe. He repeated Itachi's words with a weak voice: "Because I'm your brother."

Itachi's smile widened in spite of his sad, tired eyes. He pulled Sasuke to himself and wrapped his arms around the boy, trying to calm Sasuke with the soothing movements of his hands. "It's all in the past now."

Sasuke hugged back even tighter than he intended to. He nuzzled Itachi's neck. Physical contact was never his favorite thing, but this calmed him to his core. It felt right. The 'walls breaking down' thing was mutual. "Thank you… brother."

It felt good to finally get that off his chest.

He felt Itachi press his lips to the skin of his temple. Itachi pulled back and connected their foreheads together, his hands resting loosely on Sasuke's shoulders for support; both giving and receiving. His eyes were glossy with tears of both his happiness and pain. "You're my little brother."

"Yes," Sasuke briefly nodded. "I'm your little brother."

Itachi didn't strike him as a person who would break down in front of other people, but if he was, Sasuke was absolutely sure he would about… right now. Just how much had the older man been through? Now he felt like an ass for blaming him earlier. And this was just the beginning.

Itachi parted them and sniffed twice before closing his eyes, just breathing in and out, calming himself. Sasuke was standing before him and watching his features intently, trying to get a hint of Itachi's pain he had to endure in the past.

"Enough sentimental moments for a night. Let's go." Itachi suggested after what felt like a minute. He had a faint yet genuine smile on his lips.

"Hn."

XxX

Naruto was texting with someone on his phone when they strolled down to the living room. TV was on, a cooking show starring a white-haired man with an unusual appetite played on the screen. Naruto looked up when he heard two brothers' footsteps.

"You okay?" He asked Itachi worriedly. He looked at Sasuke for some kind of an answer, then back at Itachi.

Itachi nodded. "U-huh. Now put that injured foot of yours up before it gets worse so I won't have to take care of you for the next week."

"Since when did you start taking care of me?" Naruto muttered. The expressions on both their faces revealed that the answer was 'for a long time'. Using both his hands for support, he gingerly raised his leg and placed his foot on the pillow standing on the coffee table.

Sasuke sat in his dark green armchair. It had become like his territory by now. Not like an obsession, though. That was for stupid people. "What now? We're gonna sit down and watch this guy eat a family's daily food in one bite?"

"Actually, his name is Guy." Naruto beamed. "I know another Guy. He's the P.E. teacher. He taught Itachi as well. Right?"

"He did. I didn't know he still taught."

"Let me tell you, the 'guy' is obsessed with training. What is he? 50? He still runs better than I do." He snickered. "I prefer weights. Look at mah muscles," he flexed his arm and touched the upper part of his arm where the muscles were straining against the thin fabric of his sweatshirt.

Sasuke shrugged. "It looks ordinary to me." Maybe not entirely, but he wasn't gonna compliment Naruto every time he had the chance.

"Of course it isn't! I worked my ass off for these!"

"Then you might need to find a better trainer."

"Maybe you're saying that because you wanna train me," he wiggled his eyelashes. Sasuke lightly kicked his damaged foot.

"Ow! That hurt,"

"That was the point."

"Whatever bastard."

Itachi chose that moment to join the conversation. "Naruto. Do you want me to help you go home? It's getting late."

Naruto scratched his cheek. He didn't look like he wanted to go home. In fact, Sasuke was almost sure he would start begging to stay for 5 more minutes like a kid not wanting to part from his playmate. "I was thinking maybe I should stay here tonight?"

That was not what Sasuke was expecting.

"Okay. I'm going to bed." Itachi simply said and pet both their heads affectionately before leaving the room.

"You… stay here frequently?" Sasuke inquired. Itachi's reaction to Naruto's request was too calm to be considered as the first time, or the second.

"Not frequent. But sometimes, yeah. Since we're both living alone, he lets me stick around when I need it." He stated in earnest.

"You need it?"

Naruto stiffened, possibly because he realized what he'd said. "Errgh, I mean. When I want to. That covers it better. Anyway, you wanna do somethin'? Unless you need to get up early."

"I don't. I thought you did?" He raised an eyebrow.

Naruto started to move his good leg. God, did he have some sort of hyperactivity disorder?

"I do. But I don't feel like sleeping now. Hey, how about we watch somethin'?"

"Sure," he ran a hand through his hair. "Have anything in mind?"

"Umm. I know! We should watch that movie that you don't get any shit if you don't watch more than 3 times."

" _How explanatory,"_ Sasuke mocked _. "_ Have you thought about majoring in English?"

"Shut up!" He hurled the small pillow he'd been resting his elbow on toward Sasuke's face. Sasuke caught it effortlessly before it could touch his face. Instead of throwing it back, he put it behind his back for more support.

"Fine. We can watch Inception. That's the title of the movie, by the way." He smirked relentlessly, ignoring the blond's leering. "I'm gonna change first. Come with me. I'll lend you some clothes."

"Ah, there's no need for that," he put his hand on the armrest to get up. "I have mine."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Where?"

"In the guest room?"

"…Oh."

"Maybe you should consider helping me—Ow," Naruto grimaced in pain when he accidentally used his injured foot to walk. "Instead of standing there."

"Hn." Sasuke walked over to Naruto's side and waited for him to put his arm on his shoulder for support. Quickly getting the message, Naruto extended his arm and threw it around Sasuke's shoulders, practically half-hugging Sasuke. However, Sasuke resisted the urge to say something about this. Good or bad. Anything.

They started to climb the stairs at an agonizingly slow pace. The injury hadn't seemed that severe when Sasuke had first checked it, but it was possible that the skin seemed fine because the accident had just happened. He figured it was better to check it once they were upstairs, which meant around 20 minutes later.

"Damn. It was fine half an hour ago. What is wrong with my leg?!" Naruto winced and loaded his weight on Sasuke to take another step.

"Maybe I should go and find that lotion—"

Before they realized what was going on, Naruto tripped and took Sasuke with him as he went down. How they managed to get in that position on the narrow staircase was a mystery, but somehow Naruto had ended up falling on his back and pulling Sasuke above him during the fall.

"Shit. Now I'm gonna be disabled for a week," Naruto grumbled in pain, making Sasuke realize how close their faces were in the darkness when Naruto's warm breath touched his lips. He wished he hadn't turned off the lights. It was a stupid move.

"Let go of me, _idiot_ ," he growled and desperately pushed Naruto away to put some distance between their faces.

"Right. Sorry." Naruto retreated his arm from Sasuke's back to let the man get up. Sasuke checked the steps with his foot first so he wouldn't tumble down the stairs. When he decided he was secure on his feet, he reached for Naruto's hand and very slowly, pulled Naruto up.

"Don't you dare make us fall again. I don't think my body can tolerate any more physical activities tonight." He added after Naruto returned to his previous position.

"Any? What about the hot sex you promised?" However impossible it was, Sasuke could swear that he saw Naruto wiggling his eyebrows amusedly.

"I suggest you shut that wide mouth of yours if you don't want to be disabled for _months_."

"My _wide_ mouth? Are you sure you're not trying to seduce me to—" Sasuke pushed Naruto back, not enough to make him fall but enough to make him lose his balance. "SASUKE!"

"This was my last warning. And you're disturbing Itachi with that obnoxiously loud yelling of yours."

"Eh, fine. I'll shut up."

Magically, Naruto kept his word and didn't say anything stupid to danger his own life while they gradually kept climbing the stairs.

When they finally made it upstairs, they both sucked in a breath with relief. "That was painful."

"Painful for your mind, painful for both my mind and body. I can feel a bruise appearing on my back. Dammit," he practically walked into the room bouncing with Sasuke supporting him. "Wow. Itachi really had someone redo this room. And I gotta say, this version looks so much better."

"Thanks?" Sasuke answered after sitting Naruto on the bed. "You want me to go and get that lotion you were talking about?"

"Aww, look at you. Being so sweet," he made a stupid face, trying to look cute. "Nah. I'm a fast healer. I just need some rest."

"Hmm. At least let me put some Vaseline on."

"If you insist. Sure."

Sasuke started to look for the Vaseline he'd brought along from California. Just as he suspected, it was in the top drawer of the dresser.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm doing this because I don't want you moping here tomorrow," he crawled onto the bed next to Naruto. "Take off your shirt."

Naruto blinked weirdly before he started to do as he was told without questioning or making a remark. He raised his arms and pulled the sweatshirt off, showing the tan skin and clear-cut muscles under. Hell, he was in a much better shape than Sasuke had thought. "Like what you see?" He haughtily commented.

Sasuke wanted to smack him for saying that but it'd been a long day. He would save it for later. The blond was not short on stupid comments anyway so he would definitely need it sometime.

"Turn around."

"Bossy. I like it."

He sighed, opened the lid easily and took some of the gel on his fingers. Without warming up, he started to rub it on the slightly red side of Naruto's back. "It really does look like it's gonna bruise." His other hand was casually resting on the lower part of Naruto's back; the tan, smooth skin under the tips of his fingers. He proceeded to put some more Vaseline on the not-so-red parts, just in case if they would get worse too.

"Ugh. Yeah. You can stop now." Naruto started to fidget uncomfortably.

"Why? Am I applying too much pressure?"

"No. It's fine." He quickly turned around and put on his sweatshirt back on.

"You could've waited for the skin to absorb it a bit," Sasuke said and shook his head, not bothering to say anymore. "Put some on your ankle. I won't do it."

Naruto snatched the Vaseline away and dipped his finger in the cup, taking enough of the substance to cover his whole ankle. He carefully rubbed it into the bruised skin that looked way worse than how it'd looked when Sasuke took a look at it at the supermarket. Sasuke watched Naruto as blue eyes concentrated on not hurting himself.

When Naruto finished, he gave the bottle to Sasuke and stood up on one foot. Sasuke skeptically roamed his eyes over him before he opened the drawer and put the Vaseline back to its place.

"Why did you stand up? You're gonna harm it more."

"S'fine. I'm going to my room."

Sasuke turned around to face Naruto and put his hands on the dresser. "What about the movie?"

"Heh. Sorry. Maybe next time. I'm suddenly feeling too tired for that." He rubbed his eye with the back of his hand.

"Hn. Let me help you go—"

"No. I mean, I'm fine. I can go. G'night," he let out a nervous chuckle and looked around like he wanted to say something before awkwardly hopping on his good foot and leaving the room. Sasuke just stood there for a moment, trying to process what the hell just happened. Did he say something wrong? Naruto didn't look offended, though. He looked more like… startled. Well, if something was making him feel uneasy, he should've just told him. It wasn't Sasuke's job to squeeze it out.

The day had been hectic but Sasuke didn't feel tired enough to sleep yet. He heard Naruto shut the door of his room while he was searching for clean pajama pants to wear after taking a bath. A bubble bath, that's what he was going for. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had one of those, but it sounded relaxing and quite tempting right now to just lie down in a tub and smell the vanilla flavored bubbles while he soundlessly contemplated his life.

He turned the tap on after placing the stopper over the drain and checked the temperature of the water with a finger. The heat was almost scorching, but the warmer it was, the better it is.

He found the necessary bottle in the cabinet that held soaps and towels and poured a generous amount of it into the slowly filling tub. The water immediately started to create bubbles that spread across the whole surface. He left the bottle near the sink and started to take his clothes off. Just when he was about to take off his jeans, he heard a knock on the door. The bathroom door was ajar, so he realized it was the door of his room.

"Come in," he raised his voice enough for the person outside to hear.

"Ergh. Sasuke?" Naruto's voice was heard in the room.

"In the bathroom." He turned the water off and waited for Naruto to walk over. It took more than usual but given Naruto's unlucky state, it was pretty normal.

"I was looking for—" Naruto stopped talking when he saw Sasuke. Or to be exact, Sasuke _shirtless_. His eyes roamed over Sasuke's pale chest for… almost a minute. Sasuke felt his skin tingling under Naruto's gaze.

"Looking for what?" Sasuke had to snap his fingers to get Naruto out of his hypnotized state.

A visible blush was over Naruto's cheeks and the steam rising from the tub was making the room uncomfortably hot for both of them.

"…A clean shirt." Naruto let out when his eyes finally managed to find Sasuke's.

Sasuke had no idea why Naruto was acting this way. Especially when things were just fine. Was that about him being shirtless? Was that somehow distracting? Sasuke figured it had to be, but understanding why was kind of a challenge. Sasuke had seen countless shirtless people working at Macy's, women asking him to see if their bikini tops were looking good in the small dressing room. Of course, Sasuke knew what they were trying to do, but it still never had distracted him from kindly rejecting being alone with them and just doing his job.

Then why Naruto was being this way?

"Second drawer." He uttered when Naruto backed and started to look around the room uncomfortably. The guy seemed like he was suffering from Sasuke's nakedness.

"Thanks." Naruto left the bathroom instantly after this.

"Wait," Sasuke followed him suit. The room was chilly compared to the bathroom, leaving Sasuke with a slight shiver. "What's wrong with you?"

"What do you mean what's wrong with me?" Naruto's back was facing Sasuke. He was looking through Sasuke's large collection of t-shirts. The oily gel had left visible stains on Naruto's red sweatshirt.

"You're acting weird. Is this about me being shirtless?" He started to approach Naruto.

"I'm not acting weird. You're delusional." He pushed the drawer shut, making it slam against the wood. He took a step to leave but Sasuke reached out a hand and gripped his shoulder to stop him.

"Look at me."

"Let go."

"I will if you look at me," Sasuke demanded.

Naruto turned around and put a hand on the dresser for support. "Stop teasing me." His voice was harsh and warning.

"Teasing? _What_?" Sasuke knitted his eyebrows in annoyance. Naruto really thought he was doing this on purpose? "I was gonna take a bath and you came in. Stop acting like I deliberately took off my shirt to make you see me half naked."

"You can get off with this. What about all the rubbing and touching you did on my back?" Naruto was getting angry. Like he had any right to when Sasuke was just being normal.

"Oh, now you're saying I molested you when all I did was helping you?!" Sasuke's voice was louder than he had intended. Naruto deserved a good slap for thinking Sasuke was interested in him. Stupid moron.

"Do you have any common sense?" Naruto yelled. "You said you had gay friends but it's like you have no boundaries _at all_."

Sasuke threw a confused glance at Naruto. "What boundaries?"

"No unnecessary touching. No intimate stuff. And no shirtless-ness if not absolutely necessary." Naruto seemed like he was calming down now, realizing that Sasuke really did not have an idea about what he was talking about.

Sasuke took a deep breath. "So I made you uncomfortable."

"…Not exactly, but try to be careful. You don't wanna give me false hope, y'know?" Naruto said and let a goofy smile spread on his face.

Sasuke still was confused, but he nodded anyway. He listened to Naruto's sentence that was resounding in his head again, and—

"Wait. Are you saying you'd want to get intimate with me if I was gay?"

"Umm. I guess so. I mean, you're not bad to look at?" Naruto joked lamely. Sasuke punched his shoulder lightly for that.

"That's… flattering. At least I know you're sincere. Most people who compliment are just trying to earn a favor or get into my pants," said Sasuke.

"How do you know I'm not trying to get into your pants?" Said Naruto as he wiggled his eyebrows in a way that made it so hard for Sasuke to not burst out laughing. He still managed to keep his cool, though.

"My brother's next door?" He smirked. "Besides, you were just yelling at me for being shirtless in front of you."

A rather loud thunder was heard, and the sounds of raindrops falling on the windows afterward.

Naruto smiled, but his eyes were telling something else. They looked almost sad. "Your bath is getting cold. I better leave. Goodnight, Sasuke."

Sasuke blinked, not following what Naruto was implying completely. He ended up nodding and watching the blond limp his way out. He would've offered to help but he wasn't sure if it would be appropriate when his chest was bare, especially after the conversation they'd just had.

The water was not as warm as he wanted, but it was still good. He let the bubbles cover his body and breathed in the heavy scent of vanilla. His thoughts drifted to Naruto and their small conversation, but he couldn't come up with anything and decided to just relax and enjoy his bath.

xXx

Sounds. Disturbing sounds filling his ears. They sound like rather loud sobs.

After spending an indefinite amount of time between being asleep and conscious, Sasuke roused, a grunt unconsciously coming out of his throat. The sobbing voice was now gone, replaced with a deep speaking voice that resembled…

Itachi.

Sasuke threw the duvet off and got out of the room immediately, narrowing his eyes to adjust them to the faint light of the hallway. Itachi's door was wide open. But the voices were coming from the guest room. Trying not to make any noise, he slowly paced toward the slightly open door.

He squinted even more to see what was going on. Itachi was sitting on the bed with Naruto, holding him and speaking words that made no sense softly.

"Ssh. It's alright. I'm here, Naruto."

He ran a hand through his disheveled hair and gripped the ends of it tightly. So, the sobbing sounds was not a dream. Naruto was crying.

The question was; why?

He absently stood there for a couple of minutes, realizing he was still prying only when Itachi got out of the room and closed the door softly.

"What's going on?" He'd meant to ask if Naruto was fine, but his brain was not functioning properly.

Itachi beckoned Sasuke to his room and turned off the light. He looked tranquil except for the thoughtful expression on his face.

Itachi shut the door and practically threw himself on the bed. He was very tired and considering he had to wake up early today, Sasuke debated if he should put this off for now.

"Come over here." Itachi murmured. So, Itachi was willing to talk. Sasuke hoped he wouldn't fall asleep in the middle of their conversation.

He quietly sat next to Itachi. Normally the bed wouldn't allow for both of them to lie down comfortably, but Itachi scooted over enough for Sasuke to lay next to him.

"How is he?" Sasuke whispered after making himself comfortable. Itachi sighed, pulled the duvet that was bent under their feet and covered their lower bodies with it. The warmth it provided them felt nice.

"He's fine. I'm sure it looks out of the way for you, but this happens every once in a while. Try not to think too much about it." Sasuke heard the sheets rustle. A moment later, Itachi's hand was stroking Sasuke's hair affectionately. He wouldn't normally let anyone do this kind of thing, but when it was with Itachi, he realized he never found it bothersome. How fast he'd gotten used to the fact that he had a brother was still a riddle.

Sasuke closed his lids and scooted a little closer to Itachi, making sides of their bodies brush. "Did he have some sort of trauma?"

"Hm. I guess you could say that." Itachi's voice was deep and rough. "I don't want to tell you things that he wouldn't want me to, but I guess I can enlighten you a bit. He already told you he was living with his mother as a child. Kushina. She was a very kind and down-to-earth person."

"Naruto said she got sick."

Itachi rolled to his side. "She was already sick. After her husband died, she…" he stopped to think for an instant. "Let's just say she weakened. Incredibly so."

Sasuke rolled over too, so he was facing Itachi. "Why did her husband die?"

"That is a topic for another night. I know these all sound like from a story to you. But those were hard times. For both me and Naruto," his voice cracked slightly, making Sasuke realize that this was a weighty matter for Itachi. He wondered if he was somehow included in all this; if he was a part of their previous life. "What are you thinking?" Itachi asked as he set his palm on Sasuke's forehead. The gesture made Sasuke relax.

"Just things. About your life before I came."

"Trust me when I say this, Sasuke. My life is so much better now that you're here."

The hand on his forehead disappeared, leaving its place to soft lips that lightly pecked before withdrawing.

"I should let you sleep now." He sensed Itachi was about to sleep and it sounded like a horrible idea to force the poor man to tell him more.

"Mhm," Itachi purred. It wasn't his fault that he was too tired to even answer now.

Sasuke got out of the bed, trying not to move it too much. He pulled the duvet completely over him so Itachi wouldn't feel cold. "Good night, brother." He whispered before leaving the room in silence.

XxX

Sasuke was pissed.

He'd spent the last 20 minutes staring at the contents of his closet, and another 20 minutes trying to pick a decent shirt, which had ended with just a white, simple shirt over basic black jeans. When he'd asked Naruto what he was supposed to wear through text, the answer he had gotten was ' _whatever you like :p'_. There had to be a dress code and the idiot obviously didn't know this or was having fun torturing Sasuke. If he wore a suit dress, it could be too much. But if the dress code was formal, his daily clothes could make him look like a douche. The safest option was shirt and jeans, he presumed. Black Rolex watch found its place on his wrist. It was his 21st birthday present. Today was his seventh day here and he'd talked to his foster parents only once since his departure and maybe he was being a selfish bastard to the couple who raised him, but he was sure they'd understand. He quickly sent a text to his mother to let her know that he was doing well.

He checked the time after that, seeing he had only 20 minutes left before the event would start. He quickly found the black trench coat that looked spectacular with everything and put it on after using some cologne.

Itachi was at a meeting like he'd said he would so he locked the door, sneering at the yoga mat that caught his eye in the process. The weather was still too cold for April, or that was what he thought. As his footprints made thudding sounds on the sidewalk, he breathed in the fresh scent of pine trees around. This was a very relaxing thing to do, especially before you were about to throw yourself among a bunch of middle school students and an idiot of a friend who probably had friends as lively as him. He had considered if he should find an excuse to stay home, but lying was not Sasuke's thing.

The lights and sounds of laughter started to reach his ears as he walked closer and closer to the school building. Two boys were sitting on a bench nearby, talking about God knows what, and the irritating sight of two girls watching them afar and giggling was enough to remind Sasuke of his own childhood. Or teenage years. Or last year.

He always had fangirls.

As he neared the entrance, he realized this was even more of a terrible idea than he'd thought. Girls were wearing stupid amounts of makeup for the age of 14, a group of horny idiots was undressing the girls with their eyes. Teachers were speaking amongst themselves vigorously. Two morons were talking about how they'd sneaked some alcohol, earning impressed looks from their buddies and scolding from the man that was wearing a dark green bodysuit. This scene only could win the Best Horror Movie award in Oscars.

"Sasuke!" A very cheerful Naruto called to him somewhere. He looked around to see the source.

"Behind you," Naruto yelled again. Sasuke turned around to greet his friend. Naruto was wearing blue jeans, light cream shirt and a blue cotton blazer. He looked _really_ good. Sasuke noticed his eyes were the same color as his blazer, which only increased his appreciation for Naruto's taste of fashion.

He shoved his hands in his pockets. "I was hoping you'd forget my existence and I could sneak out."

"I knew you'd say that," Naruto laughed and brushed his bright yellow colored bangs away from his face. "Let's go somewhere else. My friends all want to meet you!"

"You told them about me?" He arched his brow.

"Of course! They know Itachi since we're friends, and they want to meet his brother. Especially the girls," he giggled lamely.

" _Fantastic_. Lead the way, teacher." He offered Naruto a smirk and started to follow him.

XxX

"Sakura, Sasuke. Sasuke, Sakura." Naruto lolled in his seat, happy that he had completed the task of introducing Sasuke to everyone.

Sasuke politely nodded in acknowledgment. The pink-haired woman was wearing a strapless black dress that was in great contrast with her pale skin, and her makeup was very professionally done.

The teacher's room Naruto had brought Sasuke was very modern, had seats with cushions and several office chairs that were lined up around the big, rectangular table covered with files and papers. A dark haired, pale man was sitting at the far edge of the table. The blinds were drawn but the ceiling that held fluorescent lights was making a terrific job at lighting up.

He sat next to Naruto, who was engaged in a conversation with Kiba now. Naruto hadn't told what Kiba's major was, but Sasuke had the foresight that it had nothing to do with literature from the way he talked.

"So, Sasuke," Kiba addressed to him. He rolled the office chair he was sitting on closer to them. "What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a freelance writer." Sasuke politely answered the question.

"He has a diploma in Architecture," Naruto chimed in. "This guy's as talented as Itachi. It runs in the blood."

"Is drawing a hobby of yours?" Sai looked up from his laptop. He was the one sitting on the other side of the room, but he was obviously listening to their conversation.

"Yes. I don't work as an architect, but I'd say I like drawing."

"I know! You can draw me sometime!" Naruto nudged Sasuke with his elbow, a perpetual grin plastered on his face.

Sai cleared his throat. "I offered to do that. You refused, _dickless_."

"I refused because you said you'd only draw me naked. And stop sayin' that!" Naruto scowled. "You're making Sasuke uncomfortable."

"Whatever, dickless."

"Sasuke, tell him to stop!"

Sakura shook her head disapprovingly and brushed her hair behind her ears. "Don't mind them, Sasuke. This is how they communicate," she smiled graciously. A small smile tugged on Sasuke's lips as response.

The door opened and a dark-haired woman with a lavender dress walked in. "Naruto. We should get started soon."

"Right," Naruto stood up and adjusted his blazer. "Oh, Hinata. Would you mind accompanying Sasuke to his seat? I told ya about him, remember?"

"Of course," Hinata made her way toward them and offered her hand for Sasuke to shake. "Nice to meet you."

Sasuke shook her hand gently. "Nice to meet you too."

"Alright. Kiba, let's go. Sakura, TenTen will be here shortly. Greeting her is your job."

"Got it," Sakura nodded.

"Shino, Konohamaru's team is yours. Make sure they don't screw up."

Sasuke squinted to see the man sitting in the shadows. He hadn't even realized his existence.

Naruto clapped his hands twice when Shino made a thumbs up and announced with a chipper voice, "Let's get this thing started!"


	4. Beautiful Times

The chilly conference hall was dark and tumultuous. Someone had obviously turned on the AC full-force but it was fine since Sasuke guessed the fresh air would turn muggy once the program started. As for children speaking… he only could hope they would stop at some point. Faint lights were brightening the stage for two students who were busy setting up the microphones. Hinata was walking beside him, her lilac dress floated whenever she stopped abruptly to speak to a student or give directions of the washrooms to a parent. The clean, flowery perfume she was wearing reminded Sasuke of Ino's. But there was a hint of Hinata's own smell in the mix, making it easy for Sasuke recall that she was not Ino. The nostalgia only grew stronger when Hinata sweetly showed him his seat and walked away, leaving a strong scent of her perfume.

It was always fun to be with Ino. They weren't best friends or anything, they hardly ever saw each other outside of work, but she was a naturally fun and friendly person and easy to communicate with. Kind of like Naruto in a way. He was either missing her or this whole thing was just him being homesick. Because then again, he'd never left Los Angeles for more than a couple of days.

He leaned back and closed his eyes in the maroon colored seat. It was the third row from the front, giving him a pretty good view of the stage. Naruto really had thought everything through, he thought. No children were sitting anywhere near. Seats next to him held cards on them that read names of various teachers he'd already met, and a bunch of names he was clueless about. Naruto was going to be sitting right next to him, which could be either a really good experience or a really disturbing one. He'd let fate decide.

For a second, the lights went out. When they began to function again, Naruto was on the stage waving to the crowd with an incredibly stupid smile. He walked to the middle of the stage and tapped on the microphone sitting on a stand twice to see if it was working. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Naruto Uzumaki and I am your host tonight." He bowed lightly.

People started to clap. A blond boy standing up in front of the stage whistled rather loudly for someone with human lungs. Naruto grinned again, put a hand on the nape of his neck and cleared his throat to finally stop the noise.

He connected his hands behind his back and started to talk. "I won't bore you with a long speech or anything. We're all here to have fun, aren't we?"

Another whistle.

"The first performance is…" He stopped and looked toward his left. Sasuke saw Kiba standing there, imitating a violinist. Naruto let out a nervous chuckle. "Right. We'll watch Shinichi Chiaki's violin recital. I watched him rehearse and trust me, he's _really_ good."

Most people giggled at this. Sasuke settled for an amused snort. He would snort a lot tonight if Naruto was gonna host the entire program like this.

"Please welcome to the stage: Shinichi Chiaki. And his accompanist, Megumi Noda."

Naruto quickly made his way down (or one would say, jumped off the stage) and after showing a thumbs up to Kiba, he found Sasuke and sat down. "Hey. How was I?"

"Like your usual self."

"Cool and dashingly handsome? Yeah, that does sound like me," Naruto whispered. "Shush, they're starting."

Sasuke considered for a brief moment saying that _he_ wasn't the one talking, but he knew better. He turned his gaze to the stage to analyze the announced kids. The boy was strangely overly-composed for a child. If he was as good as Naruto had said, maybe he was used to being under the spotlights. He had black, middle-length hair for a boy; his suit was dark and his white bowtie matching his stainless shirt made him look like a conductor rather than a violinist. The girl sitting in front of an electronic piano was a brunette, wearing a simple, white dress. Her hair was short and messy. Sasuke doubted if she could play, but looks could be very misleading.

"Sasuke. Do you play better than him?" Naruto leaned and whispered into his ear, his hot breath biting the shell of Sasuke's ear.

Sasuke scowled. "He hasn't even begun to play."

"Oh. Right." Naruto leaned back. Finally, Shinichi erected his posture and started to play.

The first sounds were made when the bow started to brush the strings. Sasuke knew this piece by heart. Violin Sonata No.9, 'Kreutzer'. The boy stopped and took a deep breath. Sasuke heard Naruto breathe along with him.

Then, a happy note resounded in the large room. Then, a sad one. This melody was always confusing for Sasuke. Not about playing it, he could play it perfectly. But the way notes stirred his feelings was simply overwhelming. It made him feel like he was supposed to find something lost, but he could never even begin to find a clue.

He had to admit, both musicians were astonishingly good for middle school students. They created a perfect harmony with each other - one that couldn't be created by rehearsing, this was chemistry. Megumi looked sort of lost in the joy of playing an instrument she liked. Shinichi usually stared at the note stand in front of him, occasionally stealing glances at the pianist.

Sasuke realized that his legs were slightly shaking. It wasn't his fault that the composition he tried to stay away from at all costs in front of people was haunting him in a school building in a small town. He inhaled, sharper than intended, and exhaled. He repeated the process twice.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand on his arm. Naruto was looking at him almost worriedly with wide eyes. No words came out of his mouth. Sasuke tersely nodded to let him know that he was fine. Naruto didn't look convinced, but he retreated his hand anyway and returned his stare to the stage.

They play for 2 and a half minutes. Performing the whole composition would be impossible anyway when they had limited time, which was fine by Sasuke because he had no intention to get the melody turn him into a vulnerable mush. When people started to applaud, Sasuke did not hesitate to join them this time. Hard work and talent deserved to be recognized and appreciated, that's what he had always believed. Naruto was clapping madly beside him, shaking the seat and proudly watching the students bow and leave the stage.

"Aren't you supposed to go and announce the next performance now?" Sasuke loudly asked.

Naruto looked bemused for a second before nodding and slowly walking to the stage. If it was Sasuke who was the host now, the emotions playing on his face would be understandable because Sasuke was almost scarred by listening to the kids play. Naruto had look puzzled when he'd seen Sasuke's face, but if the lack of lights weren't fooling him, Sasuke was sure Naruto had a thin pool of tears in his eyes.

"Great job, kiddos." Naruto grinned. Yellow stage lights and his natural goofiness covered the last trace of sorrow written on his features. "The next performance is a short version of the play 'A Year With Frog And Toad'. Please welcome to the stage," he pulled a small piece of paper from his pocket and hastily unfolded it. "Konohamaru, Udon, Moegi, Umire and Suraku."

He jumped off the stage _again_ (maybe being with children all the time was rubbing off on him) and beckoned Kiba to come and sit down with them.

"This one's gonna be a pain in the ass," he breathed out once he sat down. "But Shino insisted he'd let his students do a play. So it's his problem now. I won't blame you if you want to leave and get some fresh air in the middle of it."

"I'll be fine," Sasuke answered. "Hopefully."

"Kiba!" Naruto greeted his friend. Sasuke kept his eyes glued to the stage to see if they were as bad as Naruto was implying.

Kiba and Naruto started to whisper among themselves. Sasuke could only make out a few words here and there and they were mostly names he was not familiar with, so he opted to watch the 5 children now performing a drastically horrible acting performance.

A phone buzzing was heard. Naruto immediately pulled it out of his blazer's pocket and skimmed through the text message. "Sasuke. TenTen's here. Wanna come with me?"

Sasuke sighed. He wasn't very willing to leave his comfortable seat but he was also sure the headache that had started to form would go worse if he watched these children any longer. "Sure."

"Kiba," Naruto whisper-yelled. "I'm leaving the rest to you."

They got up and quickly found the exit door. A couple of parents stopped them before they could go out to ask Naruto some questions Sasuke didn't even bother to listen. His gaze found Hinata in the crowd. She was talking with a serene expression on her face to Sai who seemed to be busy sulking in his seat. Both their eyes were fixed on the stage. When one of the 'actors' burst out laughing and ruined the scene, Sai cringed and, well, Hinata pretty much did the same. This was absolutely not being rude. The kids deserved it.

"Sasuke! Who are you looking for? We gotta go." Naruto nudged his shoulder and started to pull him from his sleeve.

"No one," Sasuke replied but Naruto didn't hear him. They walked down the corridor for a while before they stopped, and Naruto gasped.

"TENTEN!" Naruto let go of Sasuke's arm and started to run toward Sakura and the woman standing next to her. So, this was TenTen. She was wearing a cotton candy pink dress that was just above her knees, her chestnut hair was cut stylishly and curled slightly just to make it come down as waves.

She opened her arms as Naruto threw himself onto her and hugged her tightly. "I haven't seen you for ages. You look AMAZING!"

"Thank you," she returned the hug with a smile. "You look great yourself."

"I know, right?" He pulled back and turned around to introduce Sasuke who was standing idly by him.

"TenTen, this is Sasuke. He's Itachi's little brother." He put an arm around Sasuke and squeezed him.

"Itachi's older brother?" TenTen raised a filled up eyebrow.

"Yup. We were all surprised at first. He's really cool. He plays the violin—Ow! What was that for?" He rubbed at the spot Sasuke had hit him on the head.

Sasuke shrugged. "No reason." He looked at TenTen. She was watching the two with an amused smile on her face. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," TenTen slightly bowed.

Sakura linked their arms with TenTen and smiled apologetically. "We should get going now. Konohamaru's play must be about to end."

"God, I hope so," Sasuke unintentionally murmured. Naruto chuckled and lightly slapped Sasuke's shoulder.

"C'mon. He's not that bad. Okay, he is. I should've said no to Shino when I still could. Now the whole audience must be bored out of their minds."

"TenTen is here to help with that problem, if you haven't noticed," Sakura swished her pink, straight hair. Sasuke absently wondered how she would look in TenTen's dress. Like a disaster, probably. She was fine in the gray dress she was wearing.

"I don't know. Even she might not be good enough to soothe the ring in their ears." He raked a hand through his hair and snickered. "I'm kiddin'. You'll rock that stage!"

"I'm a jazz singer, if you haven't noticed," TenTen put her hands on her hip.

"Naruto. Stop wasting our time. Let's go, TenTen." Sakura said and started to pull her away from the two males.

"It was nice to meet you, Sasuke." TenTen waved her hand as a goodbye before walking away.

Naruto watched them disappear with a smile tugging on his lips. He licked them before speaking. "What do you think?"

"She's nice."

"Only when you're on her good side," Naruto nodded. "But then again, isn't that the case with everyone?"

Sasuke tilted his head to look at Naruto. "I guess so."

Naruto walked over to the door that had a thick glass in the middle, eyeing the now dark garden as he hummed Shape Of You. Sasuke didn't even know the song until the day they'd gone to Minneapolis to buy balloons. He slowly paced and stopped just behind Naruto. "Do you know when Itachi will be back?"

"Hm?" Naruto stopped humming and turned around, leaning back to the glass of the door. The hall was empty except for them two and their voices echoed. "He should be back by now. Did you check your phone?"

Sasuke shook his head and found his phone in the pocket of his trench coat. There indeed was a text from Itachi to let Sasuke know that he was staying the night at St. Paul.

"What's up? You have a deep line between your brows," Naruto half-joked.

Sasuke put the phone back to its place and took a step closer to the glass. He could feel the cold radiating from it, and he found it very comforting. With angling his head slightly, he made contact with the frigid glass. His forehead felt both on fire and frozen. "He's staying the night there."

"Oh."

They didn't talk for a while. Sasuke closed his eyes and focused on trying to relax. Why he was tense in the first place, he wasn't sure. Maybe Itachi being away had something to do with it. Or maybe he really was homesick.

Naruto cleared his throat. "I can stay over if you want."

Sasuke opened his eyes tiredly and breathed out. "I'm fine."

Naruto didn't insist, and Sasuke didn't say anything else. His breath had made the glass foggy. He raised his right hand and started to draw incoherent shapes.

"We should probably get going, Sasuke." Naruto softly urged. It was like he was aware of Sasuke's mood without Sasuke saying anything. It was nice to know there were still people who could read others easily. Not that Sasuke was easy to read, but Naruto was apparently quite good at this.

"Hn." He parted his forehead from the glass and felt the cold skin under his fingertips.

"By the way, we're going to drink after TenTen's performance. Me, Kiba, TenTen, Sakura and _you_."

"Me?" Sasuke stopped in his tracks. "Who said you can decide for me?"

"Stop being such a tight-ass. You're coming. Right? Right?" Naruto clung onto his shoulder. This guy really was an idiot, after all. Throwing a tantrum over Sasuke touching him just to put some Vaseline on his back, and now he was all touchy. How was Sasuke supposed to know when he would see it as sexual or not?

"Fine. If that's the price to shut you up," he shook his head. "Isn't Hinata coming?"

"Hinata?" Naruto looked surprised. "She said she has things to do. Why?"

Sasuke shrugged briefly before rubbing his forehead with a palm. "She seems like a nice person."

"She is. One of the best." Cheering and clapping sounds were heard from the direction of the conference hall. "They must be starting. Let's go."

XxX

They were sitting in a cab on their way to the bar now. TenTen's performance was really good, despite that most of the kids got bored of the first song which was jazz, so she changed to pop. There was no orchestra, really. Just Kiba playing the guitar for her (Sasuke was taken aback by how good he was at it) and TenTen singing random songs requested by the kids.

"Where are we going?" Sasuke managed to ask as he jiggled in his seat to find a more comfortable position. TenTen was sitting in the front, and Sakura was between the left door and Kiba, so Sasuke guessed being trapped by Naruto was better than being trapped by Naruto _and_ Kiba.

"Whitey's," Kiba answered when Naruto didn't. "They have cheap but really good food."

"Where was that? I can't remember," TenTen joined the conversation.

"It's just after Brine's. I can't believe you actually forgot," Kiba scowled and started to play with a half-ripped piece of black leather attached to the back of TenTen's seat. "Fame changed you."

Sasuke watched TenTen offendedly fold her arms in the wing mirror. "I'm not even famous."

"Not yet." Naruto chipped in with a grin on his tan face. How did he have a tan face when he lived in Minnesota anyway? "You will be world-famous one day."

A smile spread on TenTen's face.

"Stop it, you're pampering her," Kiba tore the leather apart from the seat and threw it on the floor. The driver gave him a nasty look.

"She deserves it. You're just jealous that she made it out of this town and you couldn't."

"I could if I wanted to!" Kiba yelled, earning a punch in the shoulder from Sakura.

"Kiba, you're paying. Others, get out. We're here," Sakura said in a bossy manner and opened the door to leave the old vehicle.

"Why am I paying?" Kiba sulked but pulled his wallet out nonetheless. TenTen, Sasuke and Naruto got out without bothering to wait for him. Mostly because they didn't want to piss Sakura off, partially because _why would they?_

When Kiba came out pouting, the taxi ran off and they entered the small building. The exterior was plated with black wood to attract people, and it looked nice. The interior, however, was smaller than Sasuke had thought. But it was still okay for a small town like this. He wouldn't go to bars often back in L.A, but Suigetsu had always taken him to large bars or popular dance clubs when they did go. Sasuke would sit in a corner and drink, watching and analyzing people or occasionally, there would be people he could chat with. That wouldn't always end so well when the guy or every once in a while, the girl made their intentions clear. In fact, Sasuke couldn't remember when he'd found someone who wanted to just chat more than a couple of times.

The bar was overcrowded. A song Sasuke didn't know was playing, he figured it was Arctic Monkeys or Oasis or _whatever_. They shoved their ways through the horde of people casually standing, drinking, dancing and thankfully, a group was just leaving and they managed to call dibs on the booth before anyone else did. Sasuke quickly sat down on the crimson leathered seat. Naruto sat next to him, TenTen was just in front of Sasuke, Sakura and Kiba following.

"Okay, everyone. What are we havin'?" Kiba spoke.

"BEER!" Naruto cheered before anyone else had a say in this.

"Beer's fine." TenTen nodded.

Naruto turned to him. "Sasuke?"

Sasuke nodded, brushing a strand of his dark hair behind an ear.

"I'll be right back," Kiba grinned and wiggled out of his coat, leaving it on his seat before making his way toward the bartender to ask for a beer pitch and get sandwiches.

Tenten started to talk with Sakura about… Well, it was kind of impossible to hear what they were saying in this noise that eventually started to sound like a roar to Sasuke's ears. His eyes found the salt in a glass container. He felt a strange urge to hurl it to a wall and watch people walking on the shards and getting glass stuck in their shoes.

"Are you alright? You're being quiet." Naruto spoke into his ear in a low voice. Sasuke startled momentarily at the intrusion to his personal space.

"Hn. I don't know any of these people."

Naruto nodded. His chin was touching Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke felt tired, tensed up and he just wanted to relax somehow. Even curling up in Naruto's arms and sleeping seemed like a rational thought at this point. "But you don't look fine. You look pale. Should I take you home?"

"No. I'll be fine once I get some alcohol in my system."

"…Okay." Naruto pulled away, taking away the warmth he was providing along. Sasuke suppressed a shiver and closed his eyes.

"And here's our sacred drinks!" Kiba came back with a tray holding 5 glasses, a pitcher and a plate full of sandwiches. Sasuke opened his eyes tiredly and looked at TenTen, who was eyeing him, and she smiled when he caught her eye.

"Thank you, man. Let's get drunk and do stupid things!" Naruto threw his hands in the air and grabbed for the pitcher without letting Sakura decide who was gonna do that job.

"Good boy," Sakura smiled at Naruto as he poured drinks into their glasses. "Sasuke. Here's yours," Sakura carefully gave the glass that was full to the brim with alcohol.

"Thank you," Sasuke muttered before taking a huge sip. He needed that.

Sakura distributed their drinks and put the plate in the center to let everyone have access to it. She had a nice personality, kind of harsh when needed but she seemed good enough for Sasuke's approval. True, she was bossy. Maybe she had a bit of a mother hen in her. But it was her personality, and as long as she didn't order Sasuke around to do frivolous things once she got drunk, he was fine with that.

"TenTen. Tell us about how life is in New York." Kiba inquired, his mouth full of sandwich. He accidentally spat out a few small pieces. Sakura wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Pretty much the same. Except for everything," she snickered. "It's good, though. I like Stillwater, but you know. It's a small town. I needed to move to find an opportunity."

"Hmm. You said you were gonna sign a contract soon, right?"

She chuckled. "Hopefully. We're gonna start working on my first album after that. Then tour… and back to the album writing process. I wanted to visit you guys before all that."

Naruto gulped his beer. "I want an autograph."

"Sure." TenTen shrugged.

"And a selfie."

"Okay."

"And—"

"Goddam Naruto, shut the fuck up so we can enjoy ourselves for a bit," Kiba growled in frustration.

"Thank you for saving me from saying that," Sakura hummed.

Naruto took a half sandwich and shoved it in his mouth. "You guys are so cruel."

"Someone needs to teach these boys manners," TenTen shook her head in disapproval, brushing her bangs away from her forehead.

"Sasuke. We trust you on this," Sakura grinned and not-so-lightly slapped Kiba's cheek.

"Hey! Naruto's the one who did it. Why am I the one who gets slapped?!" He said and started to rub his cheek, a dejected expression coloring his face.

"Because." Sakura answered. "Naruto. Will you be a dear and get another pitcher for us?"

"As long as you don't physically assault me, I'm willing to do anything." He said and took off his blazer. It was getting warmer and warmer with the help of alcohol starting to run in their systems, but Sasuke only unbuttoned his trench coat, not taking it off. Sasuke watched Naruto disappear in the crowd. His ridiculously blond hair always gave him away, but this place was so packed right now, Sasuke couldn't see him anymore.

"Aren't you two suppose to get along well? Y'know, both artists in a way." Kiba said as he pointed to Sasuke and TenTen with his two index fingers.

TenTen looked questioningly at Sasuke.

"I write," Sasuke said and wiped the corner of his mouth.

TenTen nodded in understanding. "Oh. What kind?"

"Mostly freelance commissions. I wrote a short novel in high school. I majored in architecture, although I don't work as an architect right now."

"That's nice…" She exclaimed with a smile. "And you play the violin too, right?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Help me out you asshole," Naruto kicked Kiba's shin, who was watching him walk with three pitchers and trying to make his way through the crowd.

"I said one. You got three. Are you sure you know how to count?" Sakura said and started to fill their empty glasses. "Sasuke, gimme your glass."

Sasuke blinked and put his glass in front of Sakura for her to fill. He was still out of it. But better than when they had first arrived. The problem now was…

"I need to use the bathroom," Sasuke said into Naruto's ear.

"Second door on the left," Naruto pointed to a narrow hallway near the bar stools.

Sasuke thanked and pushed a couple of girls, causing them to look at him weirdly. Two of them tried to initiate a conversation, but Sasuke raised a hand to show that he wasn't interested. The girls shrugged and returned to dancing with the blond, muscular man standing in front of them.

Sasuke found the men's room easily. The room with white tile walls was rather large for a place like this. It was unoccupied except for a guy relieving himself at a urinal. He took a deep breath, grimacing at the smell of urine before walking to the urinal near the wall, unzipping his pants and starting to pee.

He was washing his hands with cheap, white soap when Naruto barged in, laughing uncontrollably. _He actually looked like a guy who could hold his liquor, but you never know these things_ , Sasuke thought. "What are you laughing at?"

"Sasuke. There was this thing that," and a couple of incoherent words. "Haha! That was the funniest thing I've ever seen IN MY LIFE!"

Sasuke sniffed. "You're drunk."

"No shit. Are you Sherlock Holmes? Wait, you can be Sherlock and I'll be your Watson." Naruto nodded fervently, which made him lose his balance. Sasuke was quick enough to catch him before he fell onto the floor covered with germs and bacteria.

"Idiot. I'm gone for 2 minutes and you get yourself drunk in record time."

"Mm. Sasuke. Your shampoo smells good." Naruto reached a hand and ran it through the dark lock of Sasuke's hair. Sasuke knitted his brows, but the moron was obviously bashed as fuck. Making any sense would go to waste.

"Thank you. Now get off me before I kick your balls." He said and despite the harshness of his tone, he gently helped Naruto stand back up on his feet before releasing his grip.

"You're all cruel to me. Whyyy?" Naruto feigned hurt. His eyes looked bloodshot.

Sasuke scratched his cheek in annoyance. Dealing with drunk people when he was still sober was not fun. Absolutely not. "Why are you here anyway? Go pee if you need to."

"Oooh. Yes. Thank you for reminding me. Thank you." Naruto said and started to undo his belt.

"Not here!" Sasuke shut his eyes tightly and pointed to the urinals. The guy from earlier thankfully wasn't there anymore.

"You're so clever, Sasuke. Itachi too is clever. Wow. Uchiha's are so clever. How big are you, Sasuke?"

Sasuke nearly choked on his own spit. "Bigger than your vocabulary."

He wanted to leave right then and there, but leaving Naruto on his own was clearly not the best idea ever. At least he thought he should get him out of the bathroom before he drank soap and dove his head in a toilet.

"That's…" Naruto mumbled. He sounded confused. "Wait, are you insulting me or insulting _you_?"

Sasuke started to rub on his hurting temples. Naruto's idiocy was too much for one night. Why had the blond drunk who knows how many glasses of alcohol in 2 goddamn minutes? Was he out of his fucking mind?

"Sasuke. I'm done."

"Wash your hands." Great. Now he was a babysitter.

He watched as Naruto washed his hands in earnest, studying the soap before remembering to rub his hands together and rinsing them.

"Sasukeee. Take me home." He pulled a few tissues from the dispenser, dried his hands and threw them in the bin.

"We just came here." Sasuke held the door for Naruto to safely get out. "At least let me finish my drink first. It's frustrating to talk to you when I'm not drunk too."

"O-" he hiccuped. "Okay. I'll wait. Hey, Kibaaa! Sakuraaaaa!" He ran toward the two of his friends dancing together, following the rhythm of the romantic song playing from the speakers, their bodies pressed against each other flush. Sasuke didn't know they were dating, but considering how Sakura easily hit Kiba and Kiba never said anything bad about it, or how they were gazing into each other's eyes before Naruto came up and ruined the atmosphere, he was pretty sure they were in a relationship.

He mumbled something about dumb blondes before finding his seat and greeting TenTen, who was watching how Kiba and Sakura were trying to get away from Naruto and his clinginess. "He's not always like this. Don't worry," said TenTen without making eye contact with Sasuke.

"I'm not worrying. He's a cheap drinker, though. What exactly happened while I wasn't here that he got drunk so fast?" He sipped his beer.

"We," TenTen turned to Sasuke with a sigh. "We're not sure. He got moody all of a sudden and started to gulp down beer like an alcoholic."

Sasuke felt a frown forming on his face. He wanted to ask what was wrong to Naruto, but he wasn't likely to get a rational response right now.

"Don't worry about him," TenTen reassured. "He'll be alright."

Sasuke nodded as he downed the rest of his beer and got up. "Naruto said he wanted to go home."

They both looked at the blond, who was sitting on a stool. His eyes were on Kiba and Sakura, but he didn't look like he was really watching. "Yeah. He seems bummed about something. I should go anyway, I didn't have a chance to see my family and I have to leave tomorrow."

She brushed her chestnut bangs gracefully behind her ear and offered Sasuke a polite smile. "It was nice meeting you, Sasuke. I'll make sure to buy it should you get published someday."

Sasuke let a smirk form on his lips. "Thank you. Same goes for your album."

TenTen giggled and grabbed her purse. She said goodbye to Sakura and Kiba, who were _almost_ as drunk as Naruto now. After kissing Naruto's cheek, she cast a last glance over Sasuke and walked out of the place.

Sasuke stared at the half full pitcher. The other two were empty now. He poured himself another round just for the hell of it. Also, he felt like he would need that for later tonight.

As he took large sips to finish as soon as possible, he watched Naruto with squinted eyes who was still weirdly sitting in a hunched way on the stool. He was swaying, making his blond hair move and his bangs fall on his forehead. With a tanned hand, he brushed them aside and undid another button of his cream shirt, fanning the perspiration on his neck with the other. The light flush on his face made him nice to look at… Not that he looked bad normally. In fact, Sasuke couldn't help but think about how many women must've been throwing themselves into his arms only to be rejected. And if Naruto visited gay bars, Sasuke could imagine him on the floor, dancing and moving his hips in rhythm with the loud music as the others' jaws dropped. He was friendly, yes, but he also was a very sentimental person. One night stands wouldn't be his thing in this case. He'd told Sasuke he didn't have a boyfriend at the moment. Why, though?

Naruto angled his head to the booth and their eyes met. The gaze wasn't anything like the ones they'd shared in the bathroom. Sasuke wasn't as good as Naruto at reading people, but even he could say that Naruto was burning inside. These fiery emotions… What was the source of that deep, meaningful gaze? Sasuke was sure he could write a novel about it, and it'd be a best-seller. If he drew it, he'd sell in no time. The problem was, he didn't know what they were about.

But Naruto broke it and stood up. Sasuke left his glass on the table, meeting Naruto halfway in the bar. "We can go now."

Naruto only nodded and without saying goodbye to his friends, pulled the door open and stepped out. Sasuke looked back to see if Sakura and Kiba were aware of their departure, but they were nowhere to be seen. Probably busy with activities Sasuke had no interest in.

He followed Naruto as they started to leisurely walk down the dark avenue. The roads were of course empty, as if people would still be awake at this hour except for the bars. Blowing wind caused Sasuke to shake a bit, but it felt good against his skin. Naruto still hadn't said a word and didn't look like he would anytime soon, so he decided to break the silence. "Are you still smashed?"

Naruto stopped in his tracks. "I'm good." His voice sounded deep and husky. He started to move again when Sasuke stopped next to him, and Sasuke followed him suit as usual. "Sorry for dragging you here. You didn't look like you were having a good time."

Sasuke smirked at his thoughtfulness even when it was obvious that he wasn't completely sober. "Don't worry about me. I _had_ a good time. Much better than sitting home alone anyway."

Naruto suddenly grinned at Sasuke. His blue eyes sparkled under the moonlight. "Really?"

Sasuke nodded. "Really."

"Great. I was feeling guilty about forcing you into something you weren't very keen on. But now that you're saying you had fun," he connected his hands behind his head, his grin gradually fading into a smile.

"What's up with you though? After making a fool of yourself in the bathroom, you lost all your cheer." Sasuke kicked a pebble. The moon was shining full force, illuminating the roads and buildings. The scene looked like it was from a movie to Sasuke with how the blond looked under the stars, him standing at the perfect angle to capture the beauty of the moment. The silence was like a melody to his ears when the only thing that could be heard was the wind's soft howling.

"Nothing. I tend to have mood swings if you haven't noticed."

They started to walk on the bridge now. Sasuke was walking closer to the road while Naruto was closer to the edge. The water was shining, the waves created soothing sounds. "Have you ever thought about jumping off a bridge?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke raised a brow invisible under his bangs. "No. Why? Are you having suicidal thoughts?"

"I'm, like, the last person you should be asking this. No. I was just wonderin' if there would be someone to stop me if I tried. You know, like in the movies. When you're about to let go, someone magically appears and says all the right things to change your mind about ending your life."

"Then you fall in love and live happily ever after?"

"Yeah. Exactly. That doesn't happen in real life though, does it? For example, if I tried to jump now," he put his hands on the rails and leaned forward, bending his body over and facing the water. "Would anybody try to stop me?"

"Of course, you moron. You think I'd watch you jump?" Sasuke took a cautious step, not that he thought Naruto was suicidal. But he didn't want to startle him or anything.

"No," Naruto closed his eyes and threw his head back. He put a hand on the lower rails, elevating himself. Sasuke started to frown. "Not like that. You don't understand. You'd stop me because you wouldn't wanna deal with a guilty conscience later. The guy, or girl in the story. They stop me because they don't want me to die. Because they actually care about the person I am. Because they _love me_ , even."

Sasuke watched strands of blond hair dance with the wind wildly, the smooth, tan skin glowing under the pale moonlight. However beautiful Naruto was, he looked almost pained. "I think I know what you're talking about," he put his hands on the dusty rails, right next to Naruto's. "Isn't that a long shot to hope for a savior to come and save you?"

"Maybe. In the end, you're just saving yourself. You just need someone to open your eyes. Like a guardian angel."

"I don't believe in angels." Sasuke watched the water calmly move along with the breeze as he felt Naruto hop down with a thud.

"I figured you don't." He dusted off his hands. "Let's go."

Sasuke imitated him and started to walk next to Naruto.

Naruto sucked in a breath and started to sing. " _Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me_ ,"

"Oh no," Sasuke slapped a hand on his face.

" _I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed_."

"That's for sure."

"Shut up. Bastard." Naruto pushed Sasuke with his shoulder.

"Hn." Sasuke settled with shooting a disapproving glance. "Naruto."

"Hm?" Naruto smiled.

"Are you hurt?"

Naruto's smile didn't vanish, but turned into something melancholic. "Aren't we all?"

Sasuke scratched his chin. "Do you… need a hug?"

"Huh?" Naruto turned around so he was walking backward. "Where did that come from?"

"You look like you do, and you told me not to touch you when it was not necessary. So I had to ask."

Naruto looked at him confusedly. "I did? Wh—Oh. That had nothing to do with this. Just do it, you social retard. You don't need to ask if you can hug me," he beamed and opened his arms wide.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes skeptically. It wasn't pertinent? But they were both physical activities. What exactly was the difference?

"Come on. I'm waiting." Naruto's grin widened.

Sasuke sucked in his bottom lip and ran his tongue over it. This was embarrassing in a way for him, but it also felt like the right thing to do. He took a step closer to Naruto, into his personal space; and tentatively wrapped his arms around the blond, pulling him close to his chest just like how Itachi did to him. He felt Naruto's arms slowly finding their places on his back. "Wow. You're a really good hugger, Sasuke." Naruto whispered close to his ear.

He'd thought about doing this for Naruto as the good deed of the day, but as Naruto kept nuzzling his neck and holding him tight, he realized how much he also was in need of a hug.

"Thank you," said Naruto and slowly pulled back. He looked much more peaceful now. His eyes were twinkling as he sniggered. "I'll find you if I need a hug from now on."

"I wouldn't recommend that," Sasuke shook his head and started to walk past Naruto.

"Why? You're so good at it. Is there anything you're not good at?"

"Shutting you up, obviously," he smirked at how fast Naruto's expression changed from happiness to a sulk.

"Ha. As if I need you. You smug, arrogant," he made a stupid face. "Bastard."

"Please. I might not know my father, but I at least know who he is."

Naruto's face dropped. "Oh. S-sorry, I didn't mean—"

" _Naruto_."

Naruto looked at him with widened eyes.

"Is your offer about staying with me tonight still available?"

"Yeah. Sure. You finally realized I'm your one true love and you want to consummate our relationship, don't you?"

He was fast at stupid remarks, but he wasn't fast enough to avoid the smack he'd earned from Sasuke.

Sasuke hoped no one had heard how Naruto yelled "Sasuke!" like a crazy person in the middle of a bridge. For their own mental health, of course.

xXx

It was almost midnight when they arrived at Itachi's house. Naruto entered and threw himself on a couch without waiting for Sasuke. "I'm so tired." He mumbled against the cushions. "And cold. And half-drunk."

Sasuke hung his coat and sat on the opposite couch without bothering with turning the lights on, rested his head against the back of it and closed his eyes. "You need water."

Naruto said something Sasuke couldn't catch.

"Wait here. I'll get us some," he instructed, though Naruto didn't look like he was going to move anytime soon.

He returned with two bottles of cold water and tossed one to Naruto, who was watching him walk with half lidded eyes. "Thanks."

Sasuke took a swig. "What do we do now?"

"Mhm. Have I earned a violin performance yet?"

"What?" Sasuke asked harshly as he put the bottle down on the floor.

Naruto licked his lips. "You know. You told me I had to earn it."

"That was rhetorical," Sasuke closed his eyes once more. "Why do you want me to play it so bad?"

"I just do. No reason," Naruto replied. "Won't you?"

"Maybe. I haven't played for some time. I'm out of practice."

"Doesn't matter. You know the one that Shinichi played?"

Sasuke's eyelids fluttered open. "Yes. So?"

"Can you play that? Kreutzer?" Naruto shifted so he could face Sasuke. The blinds were open and the weak light that seeped in was enough for him to see Sasuke's silhouette.

"How… do you know that? I thought you didn't play?" He arched an eyebrow.

"Nah. I don't. Mom did. Not the violin, she was a pianist. A great one at that," a sad smile started to tug on his lips. "It was her favorite piece to play. She tried to teach me. I would run away and hide in Itachi's room." He started to swing a leg. Sasuke noticed it was more of a nervous habit rather than hyperactivity.

He couldn't find anything to say at this, and Naruto didn't look like he was expecting an answer. "I don't like playing that one. And I don't have an accompanist."

"Why's that? Can't you play without a piano?" Naruto asked gruffly before he sat up and attempted to preen his hair.

Sasuke sighed in indisposition. "I can. I just don't want to."

Naruto stayed silent, just watching the floor before he moved and sat right next to Sasuke. "Can I try to convince you otherwise?"

Sasuke shrugged and tilted his head. Naruto bit on his bottom lip, assessing the situation. Then all of a sudden, he reached out a hand and brushed Sasuke's bangs out of his face. The gesture made Sasuke's stomach flip; it was a peculiar feeling. Naruto casually put his hand back on his lap.

"Where's your violin?" he whispered.

Sasuke tried to form a sentence desperately, but it was kind of difficult to for some reason. He pointed the ceiling with his index finger to not leave Naruto unanswered.

"Let's go," said Naruto, and took a hold of his hand, starting to drag him to the staircase. Sasuke didn't fight or try to shove Naruto's hand away. The warmth and contentment radiating from it were comforting, it felt very nice that Sasuke didn't even think about asking what the hell he was trying to do.

When Naruto let go to turn on the lights, he awakened from his daze. After being in the dark for too long, the light was almost blinding. His eyes started to water with pain.

"God, my eyes are hurtin'. Just tell me where the goddam violin is so I can turn it off," Naruto groaned.

"Behind the closet door." Without waiting for Naruto to find it, he pushed the light switch. The closet had its own light, but Naruto didn't need that to find it.

"Heh. Here it is." He lifted the case in triumph and put it on the bed carefully, then walked to the blinds and raised them completely; letting the moonlight light up the room in a much more sensual way than a light bulb ever would.

"I didn't say I was gonna play if you haven't noticed." Sasuke walked up to Naruto and stuffed his hands in his jeans' pockets.

Naruto chuckled. "What if I say 'please'?"

"Right. That changes _everything_ ," Sasuke remarked, his voice filled with sarcasm.

Naruto ruffled his blond hair and threw a glance at the black violin case. "Can I look at it?"

"You're already looking at it."

"I mean the inside."

"Hn." Sasuke glared at the pine tree in the garden. It was swaying with the wind, similar to dancing if you looked long enough. Impulsively, he raised the windowpane and the breeze started to move into the room right away.

"Dude, what the hell?! It's freezing out there," Naruto cried. "I was just starting to get warm."

"Let it be," Sasuke calmly said.

Naruto didn't insist further. Sasuke heard the zipper of the violin case go down, and turned around to see Naruto's countenance.

"It's beautiful," Naruto commented, keeping an amazed face. He undid the velcro that secured the neck and pulled the wooden instrument out of the maroon velvet covered inside of the case. He studied the Yamaha eagerly but very cautiously. "It reminds me of the days when I used to tag along with my mother's piano classes. She had a teacher who played the violin, and my mom would play the piano. The guy was pretty good at it." He extended his arm for Sasuke to take the violin from him. Sasuke obeyed. "The strong scent of wood spreading from the case. The indescribable smell of rosin. A little sweet, little spicy. These are all very nostalgic for me." He turned the screws and freed the bow. He held it in his hand before giving it to Sasuke. "Play."

"Excuse me?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Please?" Naruto pushed the case and sat down on the edge of the bed. He looked ready to listen to Sasuke play, even though he never said that he was gonna play.

Sasuke looked at the familiar instrument in his hand and strummed a string. It was mostly in tune, which meant he didn't have to go and tune it first. The weird thing was before he even knew, he realized he had made his mind about playing it. He _was_ going to play. Risky and dangerous it was to play this piece in front of another human being; because he wasn't really sure for how long he could keep his feelings under control. But without the piano, it could've turned out better. Not musically, but maybe if the harmony of the two unique instruments weren't there, he could keep his hands from sweating in raw emotion.

Music was both a blessing and a curse.

He quickly put the violin on the bed, pulled out a cube of rosin from the small compartment and rubbed it onto the bow. When he was back in front of the window, he gave one last look at Naruto. The blond was still watching him with absurdly wide blue eyes.

Drawing a deep breath, he touched the bow to a string and started to play. He could easily remember the notes for he was simply good at this, even the ones he didn't remember, he could guess. The fact that he was talented and playing it since he was 8 helped.

The melody surrounding the two was breathtaking. Each time Sasuke moved his bow and played a new note, sometimes holding it for longer, it felt like a fricking fairy was sprinkling magic dust above them and… The colors in the room danced. Sasuke didn't feel like closing his eyes but he wasn't brave enough to look at Naruto right now, so he was looking around his room and listening to how the sad melody filled the air.

He was fairly calm compared to how he'd thought he'd be when he stopped playing. He lowered his hands, gripping the wooden materials tightly. His bangs were in front of his eyes from the way he'd tilted his head, and with a flung, he got them out of his eyesight.

Naruto's eyes were still on him, watching and observing his each movement. Sasuke bit on his bottom lip as a habit and sniffed. The room was too cold to stand there now. He put the violin back to its case, and the case on the desk.

The way Naruto was still silent started to worry Sasuke. "Naruto?"

"Thank you." Naruto said, almost inaudible.

Sasuke noticed Naruto was about to choke up. He hastily closed the window and put a hand around the other man, meekly urging him to leave the room so he wouldn't catch a cold.

He shut the door behind. Comforting people wasn't his strong suit, so he awkwardly watched Naruto as he leaned against the wall and shut his eyes tightly; a hand gripping his hair like he wanted to pull them off and the other was resting on his heaving chest.

Sasuke reviewed his options: He could say something incredibly insincere like 'It'll be okay,", he could ask Naruto if he wanted to be left alone, or.

He could hug him. It had worked once. Why wouldn't it work now? And it was Naruto himself who'd told him he could hug without asking. So, it should be fine.

Gingerly, he put a hand on Naruto's shoulder and pulled him close. When Naruto complied by taking a step, he fully wrapped his arms around the man who was now almost shaking.

He had no words to say. So he just settled his chin on blond hair and held Naruto until he calmed down, even if it was just a little bit. Naruto's breath felt warm on his neck.

"I knew it wasn't a good idea to play that," Sasuke said. "Are you alright?"

"Sasuke," Naruto lightly shoved Sasuke to breathe. "I need to pee."

Sasuke raised his brows. "I was expecting something a little different, but sure."

A small smile appeared on Naruto's face before he went into the guest bathroom right next to the guest room Naruto had stayed in. His eyes were still bloodshot and Sasuke was afraid he'd fall and bleed to death or something, so he opted to wait there in the hallway until the blond would get out.

He took the place Naruto had occupied and started to absently study the wallpaper. And the ceiling.

The ceiling had a door. Without a doubt, it was the door to the attic.

The bathroom door made a squeak as it slowly opened and Naruto walked out. He looked better than before, and his bangs were slightly wet. He'd washed his face.

"What are you lookin' at?" Naruto inquired. Then he angled his head toward what Sasuke was looking at. "The attic?"

"You think it's okay to go there?"

"I don't know. Maybe we should wait for Itachi to take you there. You wanna see the dinosaur?"

"I do, but would Itachi get mad for going in without permission?" He cringed at how he sounded like a naughty kid trying to absolve himself from a crime he was about to commit.

Naruto shook his head. "Nah. Itachi loves you too much to get mad about anything. Besides, he's not a person like that."

"So... We're going up?"

Naruto shrugged. "If you want to. Okay."

Sasuke guessed the long, black stick hung on the wall was what Itachi used to open the door. He grabbed it and pushed the end to the lock-like thing and twisted. The weight of the door suddenly started to load on Sasuke's arm. He used his other hand to support it, and he steadily brought it down to let the stairs leading up unfold.

"I'll go first," Naruto rushed and started to climb.

"Wait, you idiot. You're still not fully sober!" Sasuke tried to stop him, but Naruto was stubborn. He guessed it was the time he would start getting used to Naruto's mood swings just like Naruto easily got accustomed to his asshole-ish sides.

"I'm fineee." He climbed all the way up.

"Can you see anything?" Sasuke shouted on instinct. Even if Naruto said no, his phone was downstair and he didn't know where Itachi stored the candles.

"Yeah. There's a window here. Moonlight brightens up the entire room. Come on up."

Sasuke stopped and contemplated what the hell he was doing, but he wasn't gonna back down. He carefully climbed the stairs and got back up on his feet once he was upstairs.

There were boxes lying around. It wasn't possible to tell what was what, but he had no trouble seeing them. "Can you see the plush?"

"No. The dust makes my nose itch. Let's find it and get the hell outta here," Naruto whined and started to look around, seeming lost about where to look first. Sasuke thought about saying _I didn't force you to come here_ , but Naruto apparently still had alcohol in his system. He would make sure the idiot would go to sleep when they were done.

"He brought it here recently. It should be somewhere easy to reach," Sasuke guessed.

"Hey. Look at this," Naruto exclaimed excitedly. Sasuke thought he'd found the dinosaur, but he was holding an oval shaped fan colored in red and white.

"Focus, Naruto. You can look at them later." Sasuke reminded.

Naruto sighed and put the fan back to the box. "Does this guy ever clean? I'm gonna get asthma if we stay here too long."

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke kept looking around. There was no point in trying to tell something to a guy who thought you would get asthma if you stayed in a dusty place too long.

He looked at a bunch of boxes that held clothes. Another one had kitchen utensils while most of the other boxes had books.

"I think this is the one? I can't see clearly," Naruto called to him.

Sasuke got up from his kneeling position and walked over to Naruto.

He was holding the dinosaur he had seen in his dreams; that he barely remembered.

It was his dinosaur.

Naruto raised his head when he didn't get an answer. Gotten the message, he shoved it in Sasuke's chest.

"There are photo albums in here, too. Should we look at them or leave?" Naruto scratched his cheek in confusion. Sasuke was still partially shocked, but he got it when Naruto asked for the second time.

"No. We should leave. Itachi will show them when he wants to." He _did_ want to look at them. Hell, he was dying to see the photographs. But it was neither fair or ethical.

"Hmm. Okay. Let me close this—"

Naruto stopped speaking.

"What is it?" Sasuke hugged the dinosaur closer. He couldn't see what Naruto was staring at, but the blond had a very serious expression on his face. His light eyebrows were knitted together.

Naruto made a soft sound that reminded Sasuke of a moan and shoved his hand in the box. He pulled out a piece of paper resembling a photograph.

Sasuke squinted to see what it was. He kneeled next to Naruto and…

What the fuck their toddler selves were doing in a photograph together?


	5. Middle Distance Runner

_Naruto made a soft sound that reminded Sasuke of a moan and shoved his hand in the box. He pulled out a piece of paper resembling a photograph._

 _Sasuke squinted to see what it was. He kneeled next to Naruto and…_

 _What the fuck their toddler selves were doing in a photograph together?_

"What the fuck is this, for crying out loud?" Naruto broke the tense silence filling the room.

"How am I supposed to know?" Sasuke hissed. "I don't know anything if you haven't noticed!"

"But… the fuck?"

Sasuke got back up and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. "Put it back. We're leaving. Now."

"NO!" Naruto cried. "I'm absolutely not leaving. What the fuck, Sasuke? We knew each other before and neither of us had a clue? Itachi fucking knew this. He told me nothing. I want answers!"

"You think I don't want answers? We have no choice but to wait until Itachi comes home. Leave the fucking picture back to its place. Prying further will do nothing but confuse us even more."

Keeping his cool was hard, but Naruto obviously wasn't thinking straight, so he had no choice. When Naruto didn't answer and just kept staring at the picture with an angry frown on his face, he snatched it away and turned it around. "There's no date written."

"So we knew each other all this time," Naruto started to sway absently. It looked like he was talking to himself more than Sasuke.

"Uh-huh. Now we're leaving. No rejections. You need to sleep."

"But I don't want to sleep," Naruto kicked a big box and let out a low moan when his foot ached from being hit to books.

"Stop thrashing around, you moron." Sasuke gave a final look to the picture and put it down in the box. He lightly pushed Naruto and waited for him to climb down, and followed him.

After going down, he folded the stairs and locked them as Naruto opened the door of Sasuke's room. "It's still a bit chilly. You'll catch a cold if you stay here," Naruto pointed out. "The other room should be warmer."

"What are you saying?" Sasuke demanded and opened a drawer to find pajama pants to sleep in. Naruto probably didn't have any clean ones, so he pulled one out for him too.

"I mean what I say. My bed's large enough for both of us to sleep in," he shrugged and started to go through Sasuke's stuff on his desk.

He threw the sweatpants to Naruto. "Don't expect me to sleep in your room with you after that tantrum you threw last week."

"That was something _totally_ different! Jeez, fine. I don't care. Don't come to me if you get sick. I won't say 'I told you so'."

Sasuke sighed irritatedly, his hands around his belt, waiting for Naruto to leave so he could get out of his jeans. "Go sleep, Naruto."

"Ha. I'm going anyway." Naruto put the sweatpants on his shoulder and glared at Sasuke. "I hope you have a _bad_ night."

With that, he left the room and slammed the door behind him, causing Sasuke to shake his head and mumble under his breath. "Just how old are you?"

He took his jeans and neatly folded them, placing them on the shelf where he had his other jeans. He also threw on a thick sweatshirt after taking his shirt off. He stripped his socks, threw them in the hamper and got in bed.

The white, clean bedsheets were still cold to the touch, but after a couple of minutes, they warmed up with Sasuke's body heat. He pulled the duvet up to his nose, trying to warm himself up. Naruto was right about the chill. But he wasn't going to sleep in another room.

He thought about his day as he curled his toes and wrapped his arms around his body. It had been a nice one; even fun compared to the previous days of his week when he'd just sat home and wrote pages of words, all alone except for the times he'd texted with his old friends or Naruto and when Itachi came back after a long and tiring day.

The blinds were still up and the moonlight was seeping in, lighting up the room and creating a pale blue atmosphere. His day was good until they'd came back home, and the rest was chaos. He didn't mind playing the violin for Naruto, but it apparently had affected the blond. It was difficult to suppress his desire to ask why Naruto was so upset over that piece, or what exactly made him cry the other week. But all these felt very much like nosiness, especially when they didn't know each other really well. He could ask, and if Naruto wanted, he could answer. Then they'd have some sort of bond, Sasuke assumed. He wasn't sure if he was ready for that type of thing.

His mind wandered to the picture of them in a park together; Sasuke was pouting, his chubby cheeks were flushed, and Naruto had an arm around his shoulder while his blond hair was still as disheveled as ever and he had the biggest grin on his face. He still needed a good explanation for why Itachi was hiding the fact from them. Even though Naruto didn't remember Sasuke, Itachi could've told him! He took a calming breath to prevent his thoughts from starting to blame Itachi again. He knew that his brother had a valid explanation. He had to.

Suddenly, the door opened and Naruto came in, his heavy duvet filling his arms. It was obvious that he had trouble carrying it. Sasuke had no intention to help him out. "What are you doing, idiot?"

"Coming in?" Naruto deadpanned. He shut the door with his foot and put the duvet on the bed. "I didn't want you to get cold."

"I'm sure that's the only reason," Sasuke gruffly said. "I don't recall telling you that you could sleep here."

"Nope, you didn't," said Naruto. "You want me to close the blinds?"

Sasuke sighed. "No. It's fine. Just remember not to accuse me of something when I'm oblivious to it."

"Right. Sorry about that," he got into the other side of the bed and pulled the half of the duvet over Sasuke, giving the other man extra warmth that Sasuke realized that he did need. He pulled the other side on himself.

"At least you could've brought a pillow. Your neck's gonna get sore," Sasuke couldn't help but state. He checked his own pillow. It was longer than usual pillows, designed for beds as large as his. It wouldn't be a problem if Naruto got a bit closer and put his head on the edge. Since when was he so eager to help people?

"Come over here, you dumbass. I don't want to listen to you whining tomorrow." He pat on the far edge of the pillow.

Naruto lifted his head from the bed and looked at Sasuke skeptically. "I can't say if you're being nice or being an asshole."

"Little bit of both, I guess," Sasuke answered in honesty.

Naruto rolled over and did as he was told. He had the sweatpants on Sasuke had given him earlier, and the t-shirt from last week. "I can't remember you. At all. Why? I don't think I'd forget someone as cynical as you easily."

"Same goes for your idiocy, and I don't think I was a skeptical bastard at that age." Sasuke blinked. The moonlight was hitting directly on Naruto's face, making his eyes shine and his skin look light blue. His yellow eyelashes fluttered and touched his pinkish cheeks everytime he closed his eyes.

"But… It's weird, isn't it?" Naruto turned to face Sasuke and started to draw circles on the sheets.

Sasuke sighed in defeat. "It is, but you know that I don't have an answer for you. Can we drop the subject until Itachi comes back?"

"Yeah. Sorry. I was just wonderin' if knowing each other as toddlers is the reason why we got so close so quick."

"Did we?"

Naruto sent an unreadable look. "We did. You're awfully familiar to me, Sasuke. And I thought you being Itachi's brother was the only reason. But there's obviously more."

Sasuke bit his tongue to stop himself from saying that it was the case with him, too. Maybe not the exact feeling, but he couldn't deny that things have escalated way too quickly between them compared to his normal friends. And there was this curiosity, too.

When he didn't answer, Naruto rolled closer, burying his face into the pillow and softly moaning something Sasuke couldn't catch. "Hm?"

"I said _let's ask each other questions_."

"I thought I told you to sleep," said Sasuke and yawned.

"I'm not sleepy yet. And I wanna learn more about you."

"Liar. Why can't we do it in the morning?" Sasuke pushed his bangs up with a hand and put his arm over his eyes.

Naruto totally ignored Sasuke.

"I'll start," Naruto mumbled sleepily. "Why were you shaking during the violin performance today?"

Sasuke uncomfortably fidgeted, drawing his knees to himself and taking the fetal position. "I can't explain it to you. Not that I don't want to. Frankly, I don't really know myself. It's just… that particular piece makes me feel lost."

"Lost… Yeah, that's what I'd use to describe how it makes me feel too. Maybe Beethoven was secretly a sorcerer and put a spell on it?"

Sasuke snorted. "Tsk. Idiot."

"It's your turn. Ask me somethin'."

"Anything?"

"Anything." Naruto smiled wearily. He was struggling to keep his eyes open.

Sasuke hummed in thought. "Why were you crying when you stayed over last week?"

Naruto pressed his lips together and his eyes started to roam over the ceiling. "Bad dreams?"

"I figured that much," Sasuke mused. "About what?"

"My father." He stayed silent for a minute, seeming like he was gathering his thoughts together. Sasuke let him be. When he finally started to speak again, his voice was colored with something that plucked one of Sasuke's heartstrings. "I'm not the same person I was while he was still alive. Without the effects of puberty, I still think his death changed me a lot. And when mom died after a couple of years… I became much more cautious, insecure, self-centered."

"You're not self-centered," Sasuke interrupted.

Naruto looked into Sasuke's eyes. This one felt much more intimate than the other gazes they'd shared before; something akin to opening up the doors of his soul. Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek when his heart thudded twice in his chest, almost hurting his rib cage with the strength.

"Why?" Sasuke quavered.

"Ha? You asked me—"

" _No_. Not that," he contemplated whether he should tell Naruto about the sensation, but he doubted Naruto was feeling the same. "Nevermind."

"It's my turn again," Naruto licked his lips. "Can I ask something personal?"

"I guess," Sasuke answered. He wouldn't answer if Naruto asked something too personal or anything, so rejecting him wasn't necessary.

Naruto sat up, pushed the duvet off and crossed his legs, facing Sasuke. "You're… asexual, right?"

"I am," Sasuke explained in honesty, although he couldn't remember telling Naruto about this. "Is it that obvious?"

"Remember I told ya that you're giving gay vibes? You said no, but you didn't look interested in women either. And when you asked if you could hug me, worrying about what I said when you touched my back for longer than necessary. You really are clueless, aren't you?"

"Well _excuse me_ for not having a sex drive," Sasuke argued with an offended tone and propped himself on his elbows to see Naruto better.

"No. Sorry, I didn't mean to word it like that," Naruto sighed. He started to play with the hem of his t-shirt. "It's just, I'm a physical person. Always been. And I don't understand how someone could stay away from sex. Like you don't understand why people go through so much just to get laid."

"Hn. I cannot explain it to you."

"I thought so. Sasuke?"

"What?" Sasuke laid back down.

"Can I try something?"

"Try _what_?"

"Do you trust me?" Naruto crawled next to him enough for his knees to touch Sasuke's hip.

Trust him? "…Maybe."

"I promise I won't do anything that would make you feel uncomfortable. Just… please. Give me permission to try something."

Sasuke eyed Naruto skeptically with his eyes narrowed down to slits. He seemed harmless enough, and Itachi seemed to trust him with his life, and Sasuke trusted Itachi. Giving him a chance to try whatever the hell he was trying to do hopefully wouldn't hurt anyone. "Fine."

Hearing the word coming out of Sasuke's mouth, Naruto put a knee on the other side of Sasuke, and before Sasuke noticed, the blond's lips were an inch away from Sasuke's, his left hand lazily resting against his left cheek and his other hand resting on Sasuke's waist.

He leaned down, making his nose contact with Sasuke's temple and whispered in his ear huskily. "Doesn't this turn you on? At all?"

Sasuke gulped. This was nothing like what he'd predicted. He would be lying if he said this was setting his non-existent libido in motion; but the warmth, the proximity of Naruto warmed up his blood. A light red shade was coloring his cheeks. "No. Not really."

"Mhm." Naruto's thumb lifted Sasuke's sweatshirt and touched the warm skin under, moving softly. "Is my touch unpleasant?"

Sasuke started to feel like he was being used. A sudden wave of guilt washed over. "Naruto. _Stop_."

Naruto's hand immediately retreated on his command and he moved his face away from Sasuke's neck. The gentlest of smiles was playing on his lips. "Thanks for trusting me."

His tone was full of gratitude and Sasuke felt the unsettling feeling go away. Naruto really wasn't trying to take advantage or anything. Naruto let his cheek go and brushed away his bangs out of the pale forehead, and pressed his lips there for a second before moving to his own space.

"So? What's the result?" Sasuke rolled on the bed.

"There's no result," Naruto said and put an arm under his head. "Just curiosity."

"You're curious about me?"

" _Duh_. I've never had an asexual friend before. And… honestly, there's something about you that I can't quite put my finger on. You're intriguing."

"I'd be happy to answer your questions if you have any. I don't want you to think I'm a freak." Sasuke mumbled.

"Don't say that. You're anything but a freak," Naruto chuckled. "If anyone, that's my job."

Sasuke hissed as a reply.

"But since you're saying I can ask. Don't you ever, y'know, jerk off? Or get hard?"

"I do have boners. In the morning."

"So the plumbing's fine?" Naruto hummed. "How do you get rid of them?"

Sasuke felt his face getting warm again. He was comfortable talking about his sexuality, and Naruto wasn't exactly a stranger, but the hour was late and he felt weird doing this after what Naruto had just done. "Usually I wait. Sometimes, if I really have to, jerk off."

"How does it feel? Doesn't it feel good? I'm just trying to understand how you're not interested in sex when you're able to."

"…I don't know. I just focus on getting rid of it." Sasuke tried to recall how it felt. Sure, it wasn't an unpleasant feeling to cum, but maybe he was doing it all wrong if Naruto seemed so eager to know about why he didn't enjoy it too much.

"Heh. Seems like I'll never get the gist of being asexual."

"Speaking of," Sasuke exclaimed. "Why don't you have a boyfriend if you're so eager to do it? You don't strike me as someone who'd pick up random strangers."

"No, you're right about that. Your reading people skills might not be as bad as you think," he smiled crookedly. "It's not like I've never had any. But it's hard to do relationships. I appreciate all the benefits of having a boyfriend."

"Like getting laid whenever you want to?"

"Stop making me sound like I think with my penis instead of my brain, bastard," Naruto kicked him on the shin lightly. "That _is_ one of the pros, but I meant other things. Like, cooking together. Watching something together. Or just the relief you're given knowing that you have someone to go back to at the end of the day."

"It… doesn't sound all that bad," Sasuke agreed. "Then why aren't you in a relationship right now? Or are you using Itachi as _that_ person to go back to?"

Naruto hummed amusedly. "Sort of. Nah, it's just, y'know," Naruto averted his gaze from Sasuke while speaking. "Sometimes the other side thinks cons are not worth the pros."

Sasuke nodded, trying to comprehend what cons Naruto was talking about. He figured it had something to do with waking up crying, bad dreams, how he'd said he'd changed. They would hopefully all make sense one day; when he got to know Naruto better.

"We should sleep now," he purred. "We have a talk to have with Itachi tomorrow."

When no answer came from Naruto, he looked at the blond who was already asleep.

"Goodnight, Naruto." He whispered softly, and drifted off almost immediately when he closed his eyes.

XxX

During his slumber, Sasuke surprisingly did not dream of Naruto and him playing games as kids or his old friends and foster parents. The strong rays of sun made it impossible for him to sleep further, and he decided to go downstairs to see if Itachi was home yet. Naruto was still deep in sleep, his face buried in Sasuke's soft pillow. He got to his feet, walked forward to touch the dinosaur standing on his desk, mildly roamed a hand over it without a reason before shrugging and quietly closing the door behind him. TV was on in the living room, the voice wasn't too high. Itachi was lying on one of the sofas and watching the news. Sasuke cleared his throat to let Itachi know that he was there.

"Sasuke," Itachi spoke tiredly and took a sitting position. "You're up early."

"Early? What time is it?"

"Around 8. I thought you'd be asleep until noon."

"I haven't realized it's that early," he mumbled. "Naruto is still sleeping."

Itachi frowned, creating a crease between his dark brows. "Naruto is _upstairs_? Did you guys…"

"We what? He's just asleep. He didn't want to sleep alone or something, and came to my room." Sasuke explained and rubbed an eye. He was still a bit tired, but he wanted to hear the story from Itachi rather than pull the blinds down and go back to sleep. "I want to ask you a question. Actually, we both do."

"Both?"

"You see," Sasuke sat down next to Itachi and reached for the remote, muting the television. "We found a picture of us together, back when we were kids."

Itachi's eyes widened. His facial expression didn't betray his shock, but his eyes suddenly filled with worry and something resembled Sasuke of fear. "In the attic?"

"In the attic," he repeated. "We thought you'd explain. I know it's not easy for you, but you have to start explaining some shit already." He was getting impatient with Itachi's attitude to postpone telling him about his past. _Their_ past.

"I…" Itachi took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll explain once Naruto is awake."

"No. I don't want to wait anymore. I'll go wake him up," Sasuke bolted from the sofa and started to climb the stair with rather loud thuds. His calm attitude when he'd told Naruto to wait until Itachi was back and how he was planning to embrace the situation was all gone now.

He almost gasped when he saw Naruto wasn't in bed anymore. He ran an agitated hand through his hair.

" _No, I'm still at Itachi's."_

It was Naruto's voice that was heard from the bathroom. He was talking to someone on the phone. Sasuke rolled his eyes and mouthed 'great' before clutching the dinosaur and sitting on the edge of the bed.

" _What the hell? I totally did not. Listen Kiba, I have a really bad headache and I don't wanna hear you talk about-"_

Sasuke closed his hands over his ears and counted to 10. They had more important things to do. A fucking phone call could wait.

" _-we did not sleep together. I'm hanging up on you now. Say hi to Sakura for me."_

Sasuke gave a relieved sigh. "Naruto. Itachi's waiting for us."

The door opened and Naruto came out. His bed hair was simply awful, and his face wasn't much different. "Sasuke? I thought you were downstairs."

"I was. I told Itachi about the picture and now he'll tell us about it if you manage to get your lazy ass down there."

"That's," Naruto yawned. "Fine, let's go down."

Sasuke took the plushie with him. A minute later, they were all sitting in the living room. Itachi had made them tea while Sasuke was waiting for Naruto to finish his call. Itachi's lips curled into a smile when he saw Sasuke holding the green toy. "I haven't seen that in your hands for 19 years."

"And why is that?" Sasuke snapped. Itachi's smile didn't falter like he was expecting Sasuke's anger.

"Sorry, Sasuke. That's not what I'll be explaining now," Itachi sipped his tea and placed it back on the end table. "Naruto. You've seen pictures of your father, am I right?"

Naruto nodded sheepishly. He seemed like he was thinking about something else, and Sasuke had to squeeze the toy in his hand to stop himself from smacking the blond. This was an important matter. He had to be fully focused.

"Aren't you curious at all? Why acting like you weren't the one nagging me about this last night?" Sasuke hissed.

"No," Naruto furrowed his brows. "I have a feeling what Itachi's gonna say won't explain everything. And he's not gonna tell the rest."

"Naruto," Itachi warned.

"Fine. Go ahead." He folded his arms on his chest and set his gaze on the steam rising from his tea.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and decided to pay his full attention to Itachi. Naruto could do whatever he wanted.

Itachi started to talk after inhaling deeply. "Before you were given away, Naruto and you were best friends. Inseparable, per se. People would sometimes think you're blood brothers."

Sasuke frowned. "And why exactly didn't you tell us about it?"

"I thought there was no need for that."

"What the fuck does that mean?" Naruto hissed angrily, still not looking at the two brothers.

Itachi closed his eyes in deep concentration before shaking his head. "I knew you two would get close to each other again. Naruto, why are you here? I thought you spent Friday nights at one of your friends' place."

Naruto's mouth opened.

"You know me enough to understand I don't do things haphazardly." Itachi's tone lacked humor.

"Why did you ask me about dad?" Naruto changed the subject, avoiding pushing a wrong button.

"Because the other thing I was going to say is that our families were really good friends. You father, Minato was the deputy mayor while our father, Fugaku was the mayor.

Sasuke gasped. And not because his father was a mayor too. Because he'd just heard his real father's name. "Jesus Christ." He closed his hands on his face.

"I knew dad was a politician," Naruto spoke in a low voice. "But I had no idea he worked with yours."

"I'm sorry I never told you these before. I was waiting for the right time."

Sasuke was starting to shake a little, he could almost feel a panic attack making its way to him. He took a few calming breaths.

Itachi put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Are you okay?" He asked in a concerned voice. "Do you want me to—"

"I'm alright," Sasuke instinctively slapped his brother's hand off. "Tell the rest."

"No. This is as far as I'll let you know for now. You need time."

"What time Itachi, what time?" He spit. "I've been living a lie until now, and just when I thought I'd—" he sobbed.

Naruto shifted to see Sasuke. He looked like he wanted to say something, but kept quiet.

"I need to get out of here." He got up rapidly and remembered to take his phone, grabbed his keys with his other hand, snatched his jacket and slammed the door behind him without looking back. The air inside had become too suffocating to stand, he needed fresh air to think and calm himself a bit. The keys and phone were slid inside a pocket as he put the jacket on and started to walk without knowing where he was going.

xXx

After a long walk with just thinking about their conversation, Sasuke finally thought of looking at his surroundings to see where the hell he was. He raised a brow when he realized this was the same lakeside they'd come with Naruto when they'd first met, but he wasn't in the mood to be picky. The water was clear, and the weather was much warmer than a week ago. It was quite soothing to be here. Fishing season hadn't started yet, so there weren't people around, and Sasuke guessed it was still too early for people to come here.

He found himself a path he could walk without being disturbed in any way. The birds were chirping, filling the air with sounds that Sasuke would describe as 'happy'. Of course, the birds didn't have problems like his. They'd be happy as long as they had shelter and could find worms to eat.

He kicked a stone in his way mindlessly. What Itachi had said about them… he somehow knew his brother was true. It had to be, because he couldn't come up with anything else that explained how they got so close so quick with Naruto. He also wanted to learn the full story in detail, but his brother was determined not to tell him. The pain was almost tangible when Itachi spoke about their past. _It couldn't have been that bad_ , Sasuke thought. But looking back, Itachi was a man with a strong mind, someone who wouldn't be affected by small events. There was something Sasuke didn't know that tortured the older Uchiha, and although Sasuke was starting to get terrified about what Itachi had to say, he wanted to learn to be able to help his brother. Itachi had gone out of his way to meet Sasuke when he had a town of people to take care of. Sasuke wanted to ease Itachi's pain. But the truth was, he didn't know just how.

An old pier caught his eye while eyeing the shore. It looked sturdy despite its shape. He'd read books where people would sit on the edge of a pier and suddenly every one of their problems would disappear into thin air. That of course, wouldn't be the case, but he figured just sitting down there a bit and thinking while watching the waves wouldn't hurt.

He took a hesitant step to see if the planks would move or fall. They made squeaky noises but they were still, and Sasuke didn't think twice to take it as a sign to continue. He seated himself on the far edge. The view from here was amazing; trees could be seen far away from the other side of the lake, birds' noises were still heard but they were less annoying now that the distance was wider. He checked the height, he could easily touch his feet to the surface of the water if he wanted to. For a lingering moment, he closed his eyes and tried the meditation method of breathing Ino had tried to teach him. A minute later, he gave up and opened his eyes. The weather was not too hot but the sun was now starting to burn his pale skin. He got back up on his feet with the help of his hand, and while he was dusting his pants, his phone went off.

"Hello." He answered calmly. Nature was really doing wonders, or the meditation had simply worked.

"Sasuke? Where are you? We're both worried about you." Naruto started to speak. "Tell me where you are. I'll pick you up."

Naruto was innocent in all this. Even though Sasuke wanted to yell at Itachi for keeping secrets, he couldn't do that to Naruto. Especially now that he'd learned they used to be best friends. "St. Croix. Close to where we drank coffee."

"Ah." A muffled voice was heard, then Naruto started to speak again. "Cars are not supposed to go in there. Can you walk to the main road?"

"Hn."

"Alright. I'll see you in a bit."

Sasuke hung up and breathed in the fresh smell of the pines. He remembered he didn't have his wallet with him, not that he was planning to buy anything now, but his savings were slowly draining. Now that he didn't have a job, he had to find a way to make a living. Commissions were great, but he'd realized he wanted to be useful for more people when he'd seen Naruto in school, having so many students and colleagues.

It didn't take a long time for him to get to the main road, and he was surprised to see Naruto already there, leaning on the hood of his unmistakable bright orange car and waiting for him.

"Are you feeling better now?" He asked when Sasuke was within hearing range.

"I guess so," he shrugged and got into the car without waiting for Naruto's command. "You didn't have to come."

"I know. I wanted to make sure you're okay." Naruto followed Sasuke, but he didn't turn the engine on.

Sasuke nibbled on his lip nervously. "About what Itachi said… Do you think he's right?"

Naruto reclined and started to rock his foot. "Do you want me to be honest?"

"Yes."

"I think he is. We only know each other for a week, Sasuke. I mean, I don't remember how we were as kids but Itachi does, and Itachi's hardly mistaken about anything. Besides," he took a shaky breath. "I have a feeling that you'll turn out to be a very important person for me."

Sasuke gulped. The blond really was being honest. It would be only fair if he was, too.

"I hope it serves you right. Because believe it or not, I have similar feelings about you."

"Maybe it has something to do with our bodies? Or subconscious? We didn't recognize each other. But they might have."

"There's no scientifical proof to what you're saying, Naruto."

"You can't explain everything with science!" Naruto argued. "Science can't explain why I wanna learn everything about you and why I wanna spend my whole time with you when I only know you for a week!"

"Maybe you see me as Itachi's little brother and pity me? 'Poor guy, he's been raised without knowing his family, I might as well spend time with him when he can't 'cause his brother's working all the time?" Sasuke mocked.

Naruto's mouth opened in shock. "That's NOT even remotely close to what I was thinking! Why are you being such a bastard all of a sudden?!"

"Well I don't know Naruto, _you_ tell me. I finally got to meet my brother after 19 fucking years and he's reluctant to say anything about my- _our_ past life, and I find out one of the only people in life whom I magically could see as a friend in a short amount of time was already my friend back when I was crawling and shitting in a diaper? You tell me how I'm supposed to be acting collected and cool when MY LIFE IS FUCKED UP!"

Sasuke hadn't meant to shout at the end, hadn't expected to see Naruto bewildered by his words and definitely hadn't foreseen the drops of tears starting to fall down on his face. He panted and looked away, wiping the wet drops from his cheeks and biting his lip very harshly to direct the pain from his heart to his flesh.

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto said with a low, sweet voice, tenderly held Sasuke's chin and turned his head to see his face. "I'm sorry."

Sasuke sniffed and put Naruto's hand on his lap. "It's fine. Just drive."

Naruto looked down before nodding. "You wanna go home yet?"

"No."

"Umm. That park we were in that photo… It's pretty close. Maybe we can go there?" Naruto raised his brows.

"Whatever." Sasuke wasn't really in the mood to speak, so he leaned back fully and waited for Naruto to start the car.

Breaking down in front of his 'friend' wasn't what he was aiming at all. He'd just wanted to knock some sense into him, to get him to realize he was going through a tough time. In fact, he was kind of surprised that the tender-hearted man couldn't read him like other times. Naruto wasn't being rude, but Sasuke was too brittle and moody right now to rethink their conversation to find out if he was being unfair.

"You've gone quiet," Naruto mumbled.

"Hm. I thought you could tell I'm not feeling chatty."

"I know. I just wanted to make conversation by saying that."

Sasuke shrugged. "Hn."

"I want you to know that… I appreciate how you're so strong. Your life must've turned upside down when you found out that you have a brother, and you're still here, hanging on despite Itachi."

Sasuke thought Naruto was being pretty direct with him, which was something he liked very much about Naruto. "Thank you," he hummed. "But don't word it like that. Itachi's a great brother."

"Ha? No- I know that. He's the best someone could ever ask for. Trust me, this is experience speaking," he bit his lip when Sasuke made a face. "Look, what I'm trying to say is, he always kept secrets from me too, saying that he'd tell me when the time is right. He even kept _you_ a secret, considering I didn't remember you. I've learned in time to trust his judgments and not to question them, but I understand you're not taking it as well as I do. You guys just need to spend more time together."

Sasuke felt jealous about how Naruto knew Itachi so well and he didn't, but it only made sense. He was right in the end, he had to stop throwing tantrums over Itachi's words and start trying to understand him. "I guess you're right."

"You _guess_? Give the guy some credit," Naruto croaked.

"Hn," Sasuke smirked and brushed his bangs aside. It was funny how something Naruto said could change his mood immediately.

Naruto turned on the radio and sang along with a song Sasuke hadn't heard before. Being a musician, Sasuke had very good ears and Naruto wasn't bad at all, that's why he didn't ask him to stop.

"And here we go," Naruto pulled the car over. The park could be seen from this distance. The scenery rang some bells in Sasuke's head, but they were so very faint. "I'll get something for us to drink first. What do you like?"

"Canned coffee would do it," Sasuke answered, his eyes still fixed on the park.

"You can wait for me there. Maybe you'll remember something I don't? It's worth a shot." Naruto said and pulled out the key.

Sasuke nodded and got out. Naruto said he'll be back in a couple of minutes, so had some time to assess the park, trying to remember details or even just being there.

The park was something you could see everywhere; two slides and two swings, a seesaw near them. There were benches for parents surrounding the playground. He tried to imagine Naruto and himself sliding down, or on the seesaw, but it was too difficult to do it when he only knew what Naruto was like today. Naruto in the picture had very messy hair, even worse than now, had chubby cheeks and was the epitome of cute. Today's Naruto was… handsome. Incredibly so. He had tanned, smooth skin, his golden hair was matching perfectly with his ocean blue eyes… But that was not the point.

He shook his head to shake off the irrelevant thoughts and looked around to choose a bench to sit down. The swings were right in front of him, and on a whim, he seated himself on one and pushed the sandy ground with a foot, making the swing start to move back and then he lifted his foot, letting himself swing slowly. He vaguely remembered his foster mother taking him to playgrounds to play with other kids, but from what he recalled, playing on his own was always more fun for some reason. He just didn't get along with other kids. If he thought about it now, he probably did play with Naruto. They got along well. He realized he'd been gripping the chains too tightly when his hands started to hurt.

"Sasuke! They only had a double espresso, so I got this. Hope you're okay with it?" Naruto walked over to him with two cans in hand.

"It's fine. Thank you." He said and opened it, took a sip and grimaced at the extra sugared flavor. Naruto got in the swing next to him and gulped his big can of Monster. "Those are bad for your health, you know."

"Yeah. I'm not planning to live for 80 years, so I don't care about it that much." Naruto smiled.

"Hm. That's an interesting way of thinking." He narrowed his eyes when the sunbeams hit his face.

"Mom used to bring me here as a kid. I mean, I can remember when I was around 6. Weird thing, she told me once that I played on my own until primary school." He took another drink. "But it doesn't make sense. Itachi said we played together all the time. Why did I refuse to play with the others, I wonder."

Sasuke chewed on his bottom lip. He was gonna keep his thoughts to himself, but it really was weird that both of them refused to play with other kids. "I think you were just missing me."

Naruto looked at him skeptically. "I don't know."

They swung silently while they drank their cold beverages. Two kids came to play in the meantime, but they didn't seem interested in the swings, so they didn't see the need to get up.

"I should text Itachi to let him know you're with me," Naruto murmured thoughtfully. "He must be worried." He reached into his pocket to get his phone out.

"Wait," Sasuke stopped him. "I'll text him."

Naruto's eyes widened, and a huge grin started forming on his lips. "Go ahead."

Sasuke handed his can to Naruto, who took it gladfully and started to write a text to Itachi. He typed a couple of things but ended up deleting them all. In the end, he just sent _I'm with Naruto._

He wished he could've been as open as his brother was to him, showing his affection and saying whatever that came into his mind, but he was still getting used to him. And Itachi seemed to understand his struggle, so there was nothing to be concerned about.

A reply came after a few seconds. _I was worried about you. Thank you for telling me. There's food in the fridge if you get hungry, I gotta go to work._

He stared at the screen emptily. "So? What does he say?" Naruto asked.

He shrugged and held it for Naruto to read it.

"Ah. Are you gonna answer?"

"I don't know. What am I supposed to say?" Sasuke asked in almost a coy manner.

"C'mon, Sasuke. Stop acting like a girl in high school trying to figure out what she should write to her crush. He's your brother. Just write whatever that comes to your mind. You didn't have trouble talking to him, now why are you so reluctant while texting?"

Sasuke glanced at Naruto irritatedly before typing a simple _thank you_ and slipping the device back to his pocket, then reaching out and getting his can back from Naruto's hand. He watched the kids slide down, then climb the stairs and slide down again. They repeated the process for a couple more times before running to the woman Sasuke hadn't noticed before.

"What was your mother like?" Sasuke asked. This was a touchy subject, but despite his better judgment, he wanted to know.

"My mother," Naruto spoke. His voice wasn't coated with sadness, more on the cheerful side, like he enjoyed reminiscing his mom. "Was a really delightful woman. One of the best moms out there, and I'm not saying this just because I'm his son." He tilted his head and connected his forehead to the swing, facing Sasuke. They were still swinging back and forth. "She liked helping people, she was an amazing pianist as I've told you before. She liked to bake muffins."

Sasuke hummed. "She sounds nice. What color was her hair? Blond like yours?"

"Nah, she had bright red hair and blue eyes. A different color than mine, though. I look like dad."

"I see," he muttered.

"What were your foster parents like? Were they like, really cool, or so-so, or really bad?"

Sasuke chuckled at Naruto's way of asking. "They fit in the 'really cool' category, I guess. My dad's a lawyer, mom doesn't work but she majored in law as well. She was the one who encouraged me to study architecture. They're good people, raised me the best they could. I always had what I needed."

Naruto nodded. "It's sweet you're still calling them mom and dad. Did they tell you about being adopted before Itachi?"

"Yes. I knew it by the age of 10."

"You think it affected you in a bad way? Would you rather find out about that later in life?"

Sasuke took a swig from his coffee. "I never thought about that. But honestly, I don't think I could've handled all of these at the same time."

"I have a feeling you could," Naruto admitted. "You strike me as a really strong person. Emotionally."

Sasuke offered him a lop-sided grin. "I hope you turn out right about that."

Naruto raised a brow, but Sasuke got up from the swing and took Naruto's can, threw them in the nearby trash while he put his hand over his eyes to shelter them from the sun. "I'm ready to go."

"Oh. 'kay then." Naruto walked backward while still sitting on the swing, then let go and jumped off when the swing reached higher. "Where am I taking you, princess?"

Sasuke snorted, and after casting a final glance over the kids sitting with their mother, he followed Naruto who was walking toward the car. "The government building."


	6. Sounds of The City

The bright orange car stopped just in front of the City Hall. Sasuke unfastened his seatbelt with a click and opened the door. "Thanks for the ride."

"No problem," Naruto grinned happily.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me?" Sasuke asked for one last time to make sure the blond wasn't just worrying about being the third wheel.

"Nah. I have to pay Kiba a visit anyway, he kept nagging me about something when he called in the morning," he scratched his cheek, looking like he was thinking about something.

"Okay," Sasuke briefly nodded. "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, see you."

Sasuke closed the door and waited for Naruto's car to disappear out of his sight. Itachi's white Sedan was parked near the building. Weren't mayors supposed to have limos or something? But Itachi didn't seem like a guy who'd accept a limo, let alone a driver.

He climbed the stairs and automatic sliding doors opened, warm air of the inside caressing his face as he took a few steps toward the receptionist.

The middle-aged woman with a tight bun on top of her head smiled at Sasuke, curving her red lips. "How may I help you?"

Sasuke was taken aback by the warm demeanor. He'd never encountered a civil servant who didn't frown and give him an attitude without a reason. "I was looking for Itachi Uchiha."

"Mr. Uchiha?" She asked, bewildered.

Sasuke nodded in earnest.

The woman started to go through some papers without looking at Sasuke. "Do you have an appointment?"

"I do not. I don't think I need one." He only wanted to see his brother, and as much as he understood why she was asking him these, he didn't really care.

She cast him a glance like she was trying to understand why Sasuke was so sure of himself. "Could you excuse me for a minute?" And without waiting for an answer, she picked up the phone. Sasuke couldn't hear what she was saying because she was talking so damn quietly like she was giving away government secrets. Well, he could only hope she wasn't. He looked around, eyeing his surroundings. He was starting to get bored.

"Your name, sir?" She finally asked.

"Sasuke Uchiha."

Her eyes widened at the name and she started to whisper again. This time, her eyes were fixed on Sasuke.

A few seconds later, she put the phone down. "Third floor, second door on the right."

Sasuke nodded. "Thank you."

He could still feel her eyes on his back as he waited for the elevator. As far as he knew, the only Uchiha in the town was Itachi and it made sense that the woman was shocked. The doors opened and two men entered along with him. One of them was bald, his scalp looking greasy, but his cloak gave away that he was a judge. The other was holding folders. Sasuke guessed he was a civil servant too.

The other two got out on the second floor, leaving Sasuke alone. He checked himself in the mirror, his eyes were slightly puffy from the lack of sleep and breaking down. He felt himself blush indistinctly when he remembered he was with Naruto. Thankfully, the blond hadn't said anything bad about it. It was a surprise he still thought of Sasuke as a strong person after seeing him cry like that. Sasuke drew in a breath. His emotions were so unstable these days. He needed to relieve some stress. Maybe he could take up on the offer if Itachi asked him if he wanted to visit the library. The books always soothed his soul.

The gray doors opened silently. He pivoted on his heel and started to walk. Door one. Door two. This was Itachi's office. He calmly knocked and waited for the answer. Instead of a 'come in', he heard footsteps, then the door opened.

Itachi was wearing a black suit dress. He looked a bit tired with the bags under his eyes but other than that, he looked just like he did in the morning. "I wasn't expecting you to come here."

"I thought I'd pay you a visit and see where you work. Am I interrupting something?"

"No. Not at all. Take a seat," he gestured for Sasuke to come in.

Sasuke settled on one of the black leather chairs before Itachi's desk. He heard a click, indicating the closing of the door, then footsteps on the polished tiles.

"Sorry about storming off earlier." He mumbled when Itachi sat down and didn't say a word.

"Don't be," Itachi said. "I know it's my fault. Repeating myself isn't gonna solve anything, but I want you to be patient. I'll tell you all about it when it's time."

Sasuke pressed his lips together, confused about what he should feel, but he ended up sighing and changing the subject. "What were you doing before I got here?"

"Just paperwork. Nothing special."

"Hm. You think you can tell me a bit about how things run here?"

Itachi leaned back and raised an amused eyebrow. "Are you sure you want to hear about these? Most people find them extremely boring."

Sasuke smirked. "Statesmanship runs in the blood, doesn't it?"

XxX

After spending a good hour with Itachi, Sasuke decided he'd kept Itachi from his job enough and decided to leave him to work.

"You can go to the library if you want." Itachi read his thoughts and gave him a library card. "Tell them I sent you and there won't be a problem."

Sasuke took the card, saw it was Itachi's personal library card and stuffed it into his jacket's pocket. Once more, he was admiring his brother's sharpness and how he could read his thoughts. "What if they think I stole it?"

"No one will think you stole it," Itachi smirked. "You realize we look alike, right?"

"Looking alike is no excuse for this. But if you say they will take my word, I trust you." He got on his feet, preparing to leave. Itachi got up too. "You don't have to see me off."

"Please." Itachi made a gesture of dismissal; a clear sign that he didn't want Sasuke to argue. Sasuke walked before Itachi, pressed the elevator button and cleared his throat awkwardly because of the stares they were getting from a couple of people in the hall. Itachi simply smiled at them and they smiled back, and luckily, returned to their own business.

The elevator was empty this time. When the doors closed, Itachi started to speak."I don't want things to be tense between us, Sasuke."

"Me neither," Sasuke responded without even needing to think.

Itachi ruffled his hair lightly. Sasuke slightly turned around and smiled at his brother, who was looking at him fondly. "You haven't told these people about me, have you?"

Itachi shook his head and fixed his tie with a hand. "I haven't announced it, but I don't plan on keeping it a secret either. If they find out or ask, that's fine by me."

Sasuke wondered why Itachi was saying that, but he had more important things to worry about in his life right now.

When the doors opened, some people started to look their way, making Sasuke feel a bit bothered and self-conscious. He was used to being stared at because of his looks, not because he was standing next to the mayor, looking like a younger copy of him with the only difference being the hairstyle. Itachi didn't say anything to the people, he just kept walking until they passed the doors and arrived at the staircase of the building.

"So…" Sasuke began to speak. The sun was still shining brightly, lighting up Itachi's smiling features. "I'll visit the library before going home."

"Good idea. Ask if Sai is there if you happen to feel like drawing or painting. He's the art teacher in Naruto's school, but sometimes spends time in the library too. I don't know if you like to draw much since you've said you don't want to work as an architect."

Sasuke recalled the pale, weird dude when he saw him sitting in the teacher's room. "No, that's not it. I love to draw. I just didn't want to be an architect, that's all." He averted his gaze from Itachi.

"Hm. We can talk about this later. I have to go now," Itachi looked nervous for a tiny second, then it disappeared, making Sasuke think he was misreading. "Have a good day, brother."

Sasuke nervously pinched the side of his jeans. "You too."

Itachi smiled before turning around and going back into the building. Sasuke looked around for a bit to memorize the location, then crossed the door to enter the library. The building was not exactly huge, but its largeness was certainly good for a town this small. He didn't know what exactly he was planning to do. Itachi's offer to talk to Sai didn't sound very enticing, because he had a feeling he wouldn't like the guy, no matter how prejudiced it sounded. He could simply read a book or a better option, take it home with the card Itachi had given to him.

After passing the hall where there were some doors leading to archives and restrooms, he finally made it to the actual library. Itachi had definitely made sure they had a large fund for here. There were books _everywhere_ ; literally as far as the eye could see. Sasuke had been expecting a library much smaller than this. Of course, the sight put a large smile on his face since he was a bookworm himself.

"Sasuke?" A courteous voice called to him somewhere. He squinted and looked around to see the owner.

"Over here," someone touched his shoulder. He pivoted on his heel and saw the person was none other than Hinata; the girl whom he'd met yesterday. She was wearing a striped black and white shirt under denim salopettes, the fabric showing off her lean body and skinny legs. Her dark hair was straight and falling down on her shoulders. She brushed her bangs aside and a small smile tugged on her rosy lips. "Hey. I didn't know you'd be here today."

Sasuke greeted her with a nod. "Me neither."

"What brought you here then?"

Sasuke pointed to the back with his thumb. "I came to visit Itachi."

She hummed in understanding. The flowery perfume she was wearing reached Sasuke's nose once more. He found himself breathing it in, trying to remember his friend Ino. What he was doing was probably wrong, because Hinata deserved to be recognized as a person too. Not a reminder of Sasuke's old life. "Can I show you around if you don't have any particular plans? We haven't gotten to talk much last night. I'd like to know you better," she blushed slightly toward the end and averted her eyes shyly.

Sasuke didn't have a reason to say no, so he didn't. Besides, he felt like he owed her this much for his thoughts, although she wasn't really aware of those. "Of course."

Hinata led the way to the small tables for pre-school children. They even had small bookcases, low enough for children their age to be able to reach the books. The shelves mostly held coloring and picture books, but he was sure there were a bunch of story books for librarians to read out loud. Just as he was about to ask Hinata why they'd come here first, she began to speak. "I work in this section. Children are my hobby."

Sasuke raised a quizzical eyebrow. "I thought you were a school teacher."

"Ah, no," Hinata covered her mouth with a hand and chuckled. "I was there because Naruto asked for help."

"So you're a librarian," he noted. "Isn't it difficult to deal with small kids every day?"

"It depends. They sometimes have their moments and drive me crazy. But they're so sweet when they behave. We get along well too," she explained. They were leisurely walking between two lines of bookcases for adults now. "What do you do for a living, Sasuke?"

He honestly didn't like talking about this particular subject, but she wasn't there while they were sitting in the teacher's room and it was natural for her to ask. "I'm an architect. But I don't work as one. For now, I make a living out of writing commissions."

"Oh. Is there a reason why you're not?" She asked quietly as they passed red sofas occupied by a few readers.

He pinched his nose at the question. "Not really. I just don't feel like doing it."

She just nodded and thankfully didn't ask any more questions about it. "You write, huh?" She giggled. "You must read quite a lot too. I think the best writers are the best readers out there."

Sasuke stopped in front of a shelf that held English literature books and eyed the titles. "I wouldn't say I'm the best writer, but I read a lot." He reached for _Of Mice and Men._

"I remember reading that a while ago." Hinata mused. "Can't say I found it extremely pleasant to read."

"I find it intriguing. Especially George and Lennie's relationship." Sasuke mumbled and carefully pushed it back to its place between _Jane Eyre_ and _The Catcher in the Rye._ He didn't comment on Hinata's words, although he totally disagreed. He had found it to be a really good read, and unlike Hinata, a really pleasant one. Slightly gory scenes might have been the reason why the delicate girl didn't like it much. People enjoyed different things, he knew and respected that.

Hinata told more about the library for the rest of the walk. Sasuke had his hands casually resting in his pockets, he would occasionally stop to study book titles and nod to show approval of Hinata's words. She was generally a sweet person, liked to help people and was really enthusiastic about her job.

"And here we are. The staffroom," she pointed to a door with no window. "Would you like to come in?"

"Is it okay?" He inquired. "I wouldn't want to—"

"Oh, it's fine. Don't worry about it," she smiled and held the door for Sasuke to pass.

"Thank you," he gratefully said before going in. The room wasn't really big, but it looked nice to get away for a while. There were armchairs and a TV hanging on the wall. It was on, but apparently on mute.

"Hinata. Where is my coffee?" A man Sasuke hadn't realized was there asked distractedly.

The shy girl blushed. "S-sorry, I'll be right back with it," she stuttered before leaving the room in hurry.

"I swear she has the attention span of a five-year-old."

Sasuke sharply turned around to see the person talking about Hinata. He recalled the pale skinned man currently sitting in a chair, drawing something as Sai. He knew Itachi had told him he could ask for anything, but he had a feeling a talk with the man would end up being unpleasant. The way he spoke to Hinata had struck a nerve. He knitted his dark brows and sat down in one of the red armchairs and set his gaze on the TV.

"What are you doing here, Uchiha? The sign on the board says 'Staff only'. Do you not know how to read?"

Sasuke stared daggers at the man, shocked and irritated by the unexpected spiel. He pressed his lips together and bit back an insulting retort. "You're not staff either. Hinata invited me here."

"Really? She invited me too, but I don't see why she would invite you. You're not a close friend." He wasn't even bothering to look at Sasuke's face while speaking. Sasuke's knuckled turned white from clenching his fists.

"Do you have a problem with me?" Sasuke sighed exasperatedly. "Or my brother? What's the deal?"

Sai did steal a glance this time, but he kept drawing. "No. Why do you think I do?"

Hinata chose this moment to come in with two cups of steaming coffee. He put one of them on the desk, in front of Sai, and held the other for Sasuke to take.

"There was no need for that, but thank you," he smiled at her and took the cup. It was warm in his hands.

Sai tilted his head when Sasuke didn't give him an answer. "Well?"

Hinata brushed her bangs aside. "Did I forget something?"

"He's talking to me," Sasuke interrupted and put the cup on the side table. "I wanted to know why he was acting like this and he's saying he doesn't know what the problem is."

"What problem?" Hinata bit her nail and sat down in the armchair next to Sasuke.

Sai was still not looking at any of them. In fact, he looked like he wasn't even hearing them, he was just focused on his work. As much as Sasuke admired how committed Sai was to his work, he was still irritated. "Is he like this normally?"

"Like what?" Sai deadpanned. Sasuke pretended that he didn't hear him and kept his eyes on Hinata.

She mouthed 'socially awkward' in a questioning manner and Sasuke nodded in earnest. Hinata bit on her lip and nodded back.

"Anyway, why don't you draw something and show me your skills? I wanna see how talented you are." Sai proposed innocently. Sasuke's left eye twitched and he took a calming sip from his coffee. Hinata was pinching the denim of her salopettes nervously.

"I have work to do, but let me know if you need assistance with anything, Sasuke." She finally spoke.

"Of course. Thank you for showing me around," he smiled again. Sasuke wasn't in the best mood today, and Sai didn't make it any better, but being with Hinata had somehow calmed him to a point.

Hinata took some folders from a shelf before leaving. Sasuke silently took a swig from his coffee (How Hinata had known Sasuke took it without sugar was a mystery) and watched the guy on Food Network slice tomatoes.

"I have more equipment with me if you're worried about that," Sai spoke. "Or are you just a spineless coward who's afraid of being considered as talentless?"

Sasuke put the cup down with a loud thud. "You're a blunt one, aren't you?"

"I don't see anything wrong with being one," Sai shrugged.

Sasuke stretched his back and got on his feet to see what the man was drawing. It highly resembled the act Konohamaru and his friends had played- well, _ruined_.

"Naruto asked me to draw it as a memory. I think they were horrifying."

Sasuke found himself humming in agreement and took a step closer to see the work better. Sai was good. Sai was _very_ good. He had an amazing talent, one that Sasuke hadn't seen since visiting an art gallery. Although Sai was socially awkward, he had a feeling there was no menace implied, therefore, he wasn't exactly hating the guy. "You're really talented."

"I know." Sai simply said. Well, he wasn't expecting a _Thank you so much! You're so kind!_ so it was fine _."_ Are you gonna stand there all day or sit down and be productive?"

"Right," Sasuke shook his head to snap out of it. There was another chair next to Sai, and enough space on the wooden desk for him to draw something without his arm touching the other man. He seated himself and took an empty paper from the pile on the desk, then placed it in front of him.

Sai had a pencil case that prevented the pencils from getting damaged by clashing together. Sasuke chose a simple drawing pencil and pulled it, thinking about what to draw in the meantime.

He could draw himself and Naruto. It was the first thing that came into his mind, but he doubted it was a great idea. He shrugged and started drawing a copy of his violin.

Twenty minutes passed without neither of them talking. Coffees were long forgotten. Usually, sitting in the same place for a long time wouldn't get Sasuke's creative juices flowing, but after drawing the last line, he put the pencil down and looked at the paper. For someone who hasn't been drawing for a while, he thought it looked great.

"Hm. You're talented, Uchiha. Just like your brother." Sai commented. Sasuke wasn't aware the guy was studying his paper. "Your drawing has character. But you're not appreciating it enough."

"You can't know that," he folded his arms, his bottom lip stuck out like a child.

Sai raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that?"

Sasuke stared at him disbelievingly. Their miscommunication was at a level that someone could call humorous. He took a deep breath. "Nevermind."

"Can I keep that?" Sai pointed to the paper.

"Sure," Sasuke stood up and pushed the chair closer to the desk.

"You're leaving? I thought we could chat."

Sasuke internally winced. "Maybe some other time."

Sai offered him a forced smile and went back to his work. Before leaving, Sasuke threw his now cold coffee away, and when he reached for Sai's, a hand grabbed his wrist.

"I like my coffee cold."

Sasuke unwrapped his fingers around Sai's cup, and Sai let go of his hand. He made a mental note to never stay alone with the man ever again.

XxX

Sasuke had forgotten to borrow any books from the library, but it was pretty normal since he'd left in a hurry. At least he'd gotten to say goodbye to Hinata. He was at home now, wearing dark gray sweats that rode low on his hips, and a basic black shirt, comfortably lying on the couch and snacking on a tomato. He remembered the food Itachi had left in the fridge, but in truth, he wasn't all that hungry. Or maybe watching the guy on Food Network use tomatoes in every single dish since he'd returned was having this effect on him.

He was considering getting a job. A real job, not a freelance one like the one he had now. The problem was, he didn't know what he should be doing. He didn't want to be an architect. When people asked the reason, he would avert the question, because in truth he didn't know the answer himself. Thankfully he had a brother to help him about this matter now. Itachi wouldn't allow Sasuke to worry about money, but Sasuke didn't want to stay at home like a retired old man.

He turned the TV off and leisurely walked toward the kitchen to put down the bowl he used in case the juices of the tomato dripped down. He washed his hands and dried them with a towel. A coffee would be nice now. Hinata was nice enough to bring him some in the library, but he'd been so lost in drawing, he'd forgotten all about it.

The kettle on the stove was left to boil, and Sasuke wondered what he could do now. He wasn't inspired to write anything. Only if Naruto was here. They would find something to do and have a good time. Sasuke knew Naruto was really interested in him, he didn't come here just because he was close with Itachi or pitied Sasuke for being new in town.

The kettle started to whistle. Sasuke took it off the stove and poured some water in a random mug. Then realization hit, Itachi had an expensive coffee machine. He sighed at his inattention and changed his mind, he would have tea.

Thinking maybe he would find something interesting to do, he made his way upstairs. Just when he was about to enter his room, the door on the ceiling caught his attention. Itachi hadn't told him not to go up there again and although he didn't really want to go and confuse himself even further by finding another relic, he wanted to see the picture of Naruto and himself again.

He left the tea on his desk and went upstairs again. The attic looked much brighter in the daylight, and it was easier to see the boxes now, so he easily found the box and took the picture with him. It felt emotionally overwhelming to hold it in his hands. Naruto's smile looked much, much brighter when he was a kid. Sasuke thought Naruto still had a beautiful smile, but this was something else. Apparently, the years weren't kind to any of them.

The picture was left on his desk as he took the tea mug and climbed onto his bed with a random book he'd chosen from the bookcase. It seemed like a relaxing way to spend his time until Itachi came back.

xXx

The hand stroking his hair awoke him from his deep slumber. He opened his eyes, unable to understand where he was for a moment. He saw Itachi sitting on the bed and the hand in his hair belonged to him.

"Dinner time." Itachi smiled. His hand hadn't stopped moving.

"How—" he cringed at the roughness of his voice. After clearing his throat, he tried again. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"I'm not sure. I'm home for two hours, but it's 8 o'clock if that helps."

"You should've woken me." He moved to sat up, hiding his disappointment from showing on his face when Itachi withdrew his hand. The touch was calming him. No matter what, he believed Itachi loved him deeply. A blind person could see the care he was showing for his little brother.

"I figured you needed to rest. You two woke up pretty early," he mumbled before glancing over at the desk. "I see you took the picture down."

Sasuke nodded and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Can I keep it?"

"Of course. Just… try not to get too upset over it. Please." Itachi requested, putting a hand on Sasuke's knee.

The lights in his room were out, and he couldn't see Itachi's face very well from the light seeping in from the hallway, but he could tell the older man was unhappy about this as much as he was. On a whim, he wrapped his arms around Itachi and pulled back just as quickly as he'd done it.

Itachi look puzzled before sniggering. "What was that for?"

Sasuke closed the book he realized was lying open on the sheets and tried to suppress a blush. But something inside told him Itachi already knew about it.

He didn't care. Itachi was here. That was enough.

"Let's play on PS after dinner," he suggested. "Unless you have work to do."

"Good idea. I didn't bring any work today." Itachi got up.

Sasuke followed him. "Should we invite Naruto?"

Itachi stopped at the door. "You can ask him, but I have a feeling he won't want to play today," Itachi answered. "He thinks he should let us stay alone and bond."

"Bond?"

"He said so. He thinks he's interfering with our relationship."

"That's a very stupid thing for him to say. Isn't he family?"

Itachi knitted his brows, but he didn't look angry. "You think so?"

"…Yeah."

"Then let him know, Sasuke. He thinks he's lost right now. He needs someone to reach him a branch to hold onto." With that, Itachi left the room.

Sasuke let the words slowly sink in while he held onto the doorknob before following his brother downstairs.

XxX

They had eaten, played video games until midnight and just chatted absently until Itachi called it off and went to bed, his eyelids disobeying him and closing on their own account. Sasuke still had a smile on his face from seeing the older man like that. His body wasn't tired, thanks to his nap, but he was out of ideas to spend his time with. Naruto was probably already asleep. He texted him just out of curiosity to see if his suspicions were correct, and no answer came. Ino would never be home at Saturday nights, his foster parents were out of the question. He had no one to talk to.

And when he had no one to talk to, he would drink.

Though Sasuke had never seen him drink, Itachi had a cupboard full of alcohol and he knew most of them were gifts. He picked a bottle of Casillero del Diablo instead of a high-priced wine and carried it to the living room along with a wine glass. He set them down on the coffee table, went back to the kitchen and got the wine opener from the drawer under the sink. He opened the bottle with ease and filled the glass to the brim.

The house was silent entirely, the only sound was Sasuke taking small sips from the wine. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts and that's why he wasn't flipping the TV on, but it was also dangerous. His thoughts were a mess right now, his emotions swaying and threatening to overflow. It was a stressful period for him.

He realized his glass was already empty. He swallowed the last drop and filled it again, quaffing the red wine heartily. Sasuke wasn't a heavy drinker. Then why was he so eager to drink tonight? He didn't have an answer for that.

The glass lost its appeal after a while and he started drinking straight from the bottle. He was starting to feel dizzy, and the more he swallowed the alcohol, the worse the feeling got. But he didn't stop.

His phone went off on the couch. Luckily, he was still sober enough to remember it could wake Itachi so he quickly found the device and saw it was Naruto. Without hesitation, he answered.

"Isn't the hour a bit late to call someone?"

"Heh. Sorry. I was just wondering if something was up. You don't normally text me out of the blue." Naruto's voice sounded muffled, but he didn't pour much though into it.

"Hmm. Is that so? Are you sure you're not calling me because you missed me?" Sasuke teased.

"We saw each other hours ago. Why would I miss you?" Naruto answered in earnest. He didn't seem to get the joke.

"Pftt. Shut up. You should've answered my text."

"I was at Kiba's," the sound of wind blowing was heard. Why was Naruto still out?

"Maybe you should come over. I have things to tell you." Sasuke folded his legs beneath him.

"Can't you say them tomorrow? I'm exhausted."

"No. It's really important." He argued.

Naruto sighed into the microphone. "Fine. I'll be there in a few."

"Great. Bye." He hung up and stared at the phone emptily before shrugging and putting it back on the couch. He had something important to say to Naruto… but what was it exactly?

He chuckled throatily and took another swig from the bottle. He would remember when he saw Naruto. Even if he didn't, he would get Naruto drunk and they would have a good time.


	7. Cough Syrup

Sasuke was just done bringing another glass and bottle when he heard the door knock. He was glad Naruto guessed Itachi wouldn't be awake at this hour because it wouldn't be nice if he rang the bell since the older man was really tired.

He managed to answer the door without tripping over something. Naruto was still in his clothes from earlier that day, the only difference being the scarf around his neck.

"Hey," greeted Sasuke cheerily and let the other in.

"This better be important Sasuke. I am fuckin' tired and all I want is to sleep until I can't anymore." He hung his scarf and coat without looking at Sasuke, who was watching him while he tried to suppress a giggle.

"Why are you so tense? C'mere, have some wine," he grabbed Naruto by the hand and started to drag the poor man.

"What? Sasuke—" He sighed, slightly exasperated. "You're drunk."

"Mm," he nodded and opened the wine as Naruto lolled on the couch. "You should try it too. Then you won't act like there's a stick up in your ass anymore."

"Funny. I should've been the one saying that to you," Naruto murmured in thought. "Fine. But don't blame it on me if I fall asleep on the couch."

"No... No. Wait, I said it twice." He handed the full glass to Naruto and took a seat next to him.

"Hah. You're funny when you're drunk." Naruto looked at him and smiled crookedly, then took a sip. "So. What was that important thing you wanted to tell me?"

"Right," Sasuke nodded, but the action made his head spin so he leaned back."It's _really_ important. Listen to me _very_ carefully."

" _Okay_. What is it? Shoot."

Sasuke took a deep breath and opened his mouth to say it, but the problem was, he still didn't remember what it was. He cracked up.

"What is so funny?" Naruto knitted his eyebrows to understand what Sasuke was laughing about.

"I don't even remember!" Sasuke hit Naruto's thigh and laughed some more. Naruto let him without saying anything else.

Sasuke finally calmed down after a while and wiped a lone tear from his eye. He looked at Naruto, but the blond wasn't laughing. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Naruto cast him a confused glance. "Ah, yeah. Don't worry. Sorry that I'm not much of a company tonight."

Sasuke leaned forward a bit. "Is something wrong?"

"It's just that Kiba decided to be a jerk before I left," he huffed and put the full glass on the table. He didn't seem to be in the mood to drink. "He's been nagging me about staying away from relationships for some time. He thinks I need to be alone for a while, find my true self or some shit."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke blinked. "I don't follow."

Naruto gnawed on his lip, he appeared to be contemplating something. "You won't understand."

"I'll try to."

Naruto reached for the glass and drank the half of its content before speaking again. "There's this guy. Kiba thinks I shouldn't make a move. And I think he's right, but I can't seem to make myself believe that."

"And why do you think he's right?" Sasuke inquired.

"Because he's not gay," Naruto mumbled with a dejected expression. Some gears starting turning inside Sasuke's head at that and he suddenly remembered what he was going to say to Naruto.

"Itachi said you're trying to stay away."

Naruto took the throw pillow and hugged it to his chest. "I'm not doing a good job at that, am I?"

"I don't see why you should do it. We're childhood friends. You know Itachi for who knows how many years. Why are you trying to stay away exactly?"

"You think too much for a drunk person," Naruto tenderly smiled. "I want you guys to bond."

"That's what Itachi said. You realize we can still bond while you're here, right?"

Naruto fidgeted uncomfortably. "Yeah. But I thought it would be better if you two are alone."

"Naruto," Sasuke started rubbing his temples. "Stop it. I enjoy your company and so does Itachi. Don't give me that crap."

"Hm." Naruto angled his body toward Sasuke so he could see him better. Sasuke thought about mentioning the 'a branch to hold' thing. But in truth, he didn't think Naruto needed someone to save him. Like he'd said that night on the bridge, he would eventually have to save himself. Any other person could only help in the process, not do the whole work for him.

"Do you have a therapist?" He asked.

"Why? Does it look like I need one?"

"I mean, about those bad dreams. Itachi said you're having them often."

Naruto started to pinch the soft fabric of the pillow. "I had one. When I was a kid."

"Oh. I wonder why you still have them then." Sasuke mused.

"It's not that weird. My dad got shot right in front of me. Of course it left a scar."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "What did you say?"

Naruto's mouth opened. "I… Oh shit. You didn't know." He closed a hand on his mouth and watched as Sasuke started to freak out.

"What the hell are you talking about? What do you mean your father got shot in front of you?" He pierced his eyes on Naruto.

"Ssh. You'll wake Itachi up." Naruto was incredibly calm - like he was used to this reaction. "It just happened. When I was little."

"Who did it? Why?" Sasuke started to shiver slightly from the bad feeling in his chest.

"I don't know. Stop asking so many questions!" Naruto snapped.

"Shit. Sorry." Sasuke whispered. "I'm so sorry about that, Naruto."

Sasuke was upset about many things. But when he tried to empathize, he knew growing up with foster parents was much better than witnessing your own father die before your eyes. Things started to click better in Sasuke's head, like why Naruto's mother was so upset that she got ill. But it must have been even worse for Naruto. He was a little kid when that had happened, and when all he cared about was playing games, watching cartoons or when would be the next time he could get to see his best friend, suddenly he'd found himself in the chaotic reality.

Adults sucked.

Naruto sucked his teeth, his gaze on the pillow. "S'fine. Can we change the subject?"

Sasuke internally cursed for pushing a wrong button. Naruto's mood was already down and he'd made it even worse. As much as he wanted to ask more, learn every detail and even try to comfort him with his non-existent comforting skills, he listened to the request. "This guy you've told me about…"

"Heh. You had to bring him up again, hadn't you?" He complained, but he was at least not frowning now.

"Tell me about him a bit."

"No."

Sasuke punched his shoulder lightly. "You never tell me anything. What kind of a friend are you?"

"A very bad one," Naruto smirked. Sasuke rolled his eyes and gave him his glass.

"Drink. And stop being a walking bag of insecurity or I'll go to my room."

"You're the one who asked me to come here," Naruto whimpered and started to drink. "Silly Sasuke."

"Idiot. Now tell me."

Naruto swirled the dark red drink in the glass and licked his lips. "He's hot."

"What else?"

"He's fun to talk to. Has a bit of a bastard in him, but he's generally nice to me."

"So he's someone you talk to," Sasuke nodded. It wasn't like he had any advice to give. He was just curious.

"Yeah. It… feels good to spend time with him. Makes me feel happy. Did I mention that he's also _way_ out of my league?"

"Why is that, Naruto? You're good-looking, you're funny. I don't see why anyone wouldn't want to date you." He said in earnest.

"Um, men who are not gay and women who are not straight?"

"You know what I meant. Stop averting me."

Naruto put the pillow aside and drew closer to Sasuke. "You think I'm good-looking?" He wiggled his eyebrows and chuckled.

Sasuke wanted to wipe that expression with his hands, but he didn't dare to upset Naruto again. "Well, if I have to be honest. You are."

"Heh. Thanks. I wish the looks could solve everything."

"Isn't that offensive to ones who are not so lucky with their physical appearances?" Sasuke brushed his bangs aside.

"Stop being so damn smart and focus on what I'm saying. Or not. I wouldn't be opposed if you wanna talk about somethin' else."

Sasuke shook his head. "Um. No. I'm curious since I've never been in a relationship before."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You are? I thought I was the only one curious about the other's sexuality."

Sasuke took the empty glass from Naruto's hand and put it down. "It's only natural. I see it in the movies, read it in books. Although I can't really wrap my head around it, I do wonder what it's like."

Naruto seemed puzzled but he nodded anyway. Sasuke bit his lip at the sight. Naruto looked tired, his blue eyes seemed out of focus and the usual sparks weren't there.

"This is the moment you're supposed to hug me to your chest and stroke my hair until I fall asleep," Naruto said. His tone was humorous.

"Really?" Sasuke thought about it. He could see that happening in a romance movie. "You're not saying that because you want to hug me, are you?" He offered a knowing smirk.

"Hah! I would just do it if that were the case. I don't need to-"

Sasuke pulled the man to his chest without listening to the rest. "Liar. I can read it all over your face."

Naruto stayed rigid for a moment before he relaxed against Sasuke and shifted a bit, getting comfortable. His head was resting on Sasuke's chest while the rest of his body stood limply on the comfy couch cushions. Sasuke tugged on a blond lock. "Why are you so blond?"

"And I was wondering when the alcohol would start to speak," Naruto whispered.

"Shut up." Naruto felt warm against his body like this. He could feel it on his chest every single time Naruto breathed out. His right hand was still tugging on Naruto's hair not-so-gently while the other was resting on his own thigh. "Are you asleep yet?"

"No. You're not stroking my hair," Naruto groaned tiredly and reached for Sasuke's hand, starting to move it on his hair forcefully.

"Tsk. They shouldn't have spoiled you," complained Sasuke, but he kept moving his hand on the soft strands of hair even when Naruto withdrew his own.

"That feels good," Naruto started drawing circles on Sasuke's shirt with his index finger. "…Do you believe in soulmates?"

The question caught Sasuke off guard. His hand halted for a brief second.

"I'm asking because… Well, I do. It doesn't have to be sexual. My soulmate could be a friend. But the chances of finding them is so low."

Sasuke leaned forward a bit to see Naruto's face, his bangs falling in front of his eyes. Naruto's eyes were still open despite how tired the man was. He sighed into Sasuke's shirt.

"I guess so. I haven't really thought about it." Sasuke answered the question. "Get off my chest if you're not gonna go to sleep."

Naruto gripped his shirt tenaciously to prevent Sasuke from pushing him. "It's so warm here. I'm not going anywhere."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'll give you a blanket."

"No, I'm going home tonight. I can't stay here."

"And why is that? I swear to God if you start giving me the 'you need to be alone with Itachi' crap again—"

Naruto, raising his head to look at Sasuke, put the hand on Sasuke's chest on the armrest and propped himself to stay up. "You're being moody. I don't like it." His brows were slightly furrowed.

Sasuke licked his lips without thinking when Naruto's hot breath hit them. Naruto's gaze drew down for a second before finding Sasuke's eyes again. Sasuke pouted. "Lay back down."

Naruto looked like he was about to protest, so Sasuke pushed his head back down. He lost his balance and collapsed on him. "Ow! I hit my head you bastard!"

"Yeah, my chest felt that too," he flicked Naruto's cheek as punishment. "What's the scenario now?"

"Hmm. If it's a horror movie, this is where you stab me in the back."

Sasuke snorted.

"Maybe we should roleplay and see how it goes."

"Weren't you exhausted a minute ago?"

"I still am, but if I can't sleep, at least let me have fun," Naruto mumbled. "Okay. So I am Sasuke, and you are Naruto. We're gonna try to guess each other's thoughts and act like it."

"That is really stupid, but I'm still drunk so I'm in."

Naruto sat up, still very close to Sasuke. "I'll start." He sneered. "You look stupid, Naruto."

"Hey, that is not what I'm like at all!" Sasuke pushed Naruto to the other side of the couch.

"Just go with it," Naruto rolled his eyes. "You're no fun."

Sasuke folded his arms over his chest, offended by being labeled as 'no fun'. "Hey, Sasuke. Did you know that I like pining over a guy whom I like but don't have the balls to ask out?"

Naruto pointed an accusing finger at him. "Don't involve that!"

"Then what do I do?" Sasuke got on his knees and watched Naruto as he spread his legs comfortably, keeping one on the couch while the other hung off the edge.

"Don't ask me like I'm the expert. Just do what you feel like I'd do right now."

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair and crawled closer to Naruto. "You like physical contact. I think this is something you'd do." He settled between Naruto's legs and tried to hug him, but Naruto pushed him away.

"Idiot, have you ever heard of personal space?" Naruto hissed. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at that. That was something he would say. The blond was playing his role good.

"Sorry," he apologized and tried to move. Naruto grabbed the hem of his shirt.

"You really think I'd give up that easily? You don't know me at all then."

Sasuke chuckled and nodded. He was starting to have fun. "Shut up, Sasuke. I need a hug." And he practically threw himself over Naruto.

"Ow. Idiot." Naruto pulled his hair as revenge. This time, instead of pushing him, he wrapped his arms around Sasuke and hugged back.

"I'm not sure I'm that touchy-feely. I'd probably push you away."

"But you don't," Naruto whispered in his ear. "Make your next move."

"There's more?" Sasuke whined. "Can't we end the movie right here?"

"We need closure. Do you want critics to flame us?"

It made absolutely no sense, but the bottle of wine was still coursing through his blood and blocking the part of his brain that said _stop playing stupid games and go to sleep,_ so he slowly pulled away to look at Naruto's face.

He narrowed his eyes. "Sasuke," he said his own name. What would Naruto do now? He was lying under him, watching him with perusing, dark blue eyes.

Suddenly, his heart started to beat very loudly for no reason. Being in this proximity to Naruto was doing weird things to him. It probably did weird things to Naruto too, so if Naruto was in his place, he would probably go further.

He had always seen kissing scenes in movies. Some movies showed it as a brief touching of the lips, some had the actor and the actress make out in front of the cameras. Those ones were the worst. Sasuke didn't hate watching them, but the thought of himself doing it with someone was simply too much. He recalled how Naruto had acted last night, a hand on his cheek and the other resting on his hip. He slowly put his right hand on Naruto's hip, which earned him a questioning glare, but he didn't care and went ahead.

"Sasuke? What are you doing?" Naruto asked throatily when Sasuke started to brush his thumb on Naruto's cheekbone.

"You're Sasuke. I'm Naruto." Sasuke corrected him. With an agonizingly slow pace, he leaned down just enough to feel Naruto's warm breath on his lips again.

"I don't think we should—"

"Shut up." Sasuke cut him. His body felt like it was on fire, the heat of the room suddenly spiked up, and he closed his eyes at the sensation. He had no expectations from the kiss, he saw it as a part of their little game. He heard Naruto take a shaky breath.

He pressed their lips together gently.

A thousand needles plunged into his body, a heavy bolt of lightning struck him. Or at least that was what he felt when he felt the softness of Naruto's lips on his own. The hand on Naruto's cheek started to sweat. Naruto trembled under him, and Sasuke suddenly woke up from a dream and realized what the hell he was doing.

He pulled back in an instant. Naruto was looking at him with dilated pupils, his face red as a tomato. Sasuke just stared since he had no idea what to do.

"You bastard," Naruto whispered harshly. Sasuke's heart skipped a beat in fear of losing his friend. "At least do it correctly if you're gonna fuck it up." With that, he put a hand on the back of Sasuke's neck and drew him close once more. This time, Naruto was the one kissing Sasuke. But this was so different than the other; Naruto was experienced. He was kissing Sasuke fiercely, with a blooming passion that left Sasuke breathless. The warmth from earlier came back to him, and he closed his eyes, trying to follow Naruto's rhythm to see if he could learn.

Naruto lifted his foot hanging off the edge and trapped Sasuke between his legs, a hand tangled in the dark hair while his lips moved on Sasuke's, captivating and devouring him.

"You're learning fast," he panted, his lips touching Sasuke's still.

Sasuke wasn't really aware of what was going on. His mind was half-shut, he could only sense his body, his lips as they closed on Naruto's again, then Naruto grabbed his waist and on a sudden, Naruto changed their positions.

"Are we still roleplaying?" He asked quietly and pressed his lips to the back of Sasuke's ear.

"No. Definitely no." His voice had an uncharacteristic rough edge to it, and Sasuke grabbed Naruto's hair and made their lips touch once again. He didn't know why he was seeking it, but it was comforting, soothing, relaxing. Naruto opened his mouth slightly and licked Sasuke's bottom lip, earning a soft whimper.

"You got carried away." He pulled back after kissing the spot he'd licked. "I shouldn't have let this happen."

Sasuke, still breathing heavily, looked at Naruto's flushed cheeks. "Why did you stop?"

"See, you can't even process what I'm saying." He moved away from Sasuke, only to have his arm grabbed and he returned to his position. "Let me go, asshole." His tone was threatening.

Sasuke, who wasn't even aware that he'd grabbed Naruto, retreated his hand and took a sitting position. His logic was still long gone. Naruto's kiss made him drunker than a bottle of wine. He looked at Naruto pleadingly. The blond was rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"I'm going." Naruto declared.

Sasuke's gaze must have turned into a puppy-like because Naruto's tone softened.

"It's my fault. I let you do it." He shut his eyes tight like he was suffering, and crinkles appeared by his eyes.

"Naruto. I'm so sorry." Sasuke whispered. He had messed up big this time.

"Ssh. I'm going home now. Go to sleep." Naruto said with a neutral tone and got up to leave. Sasuke suppressed a shiver as his heart clenched in his chest. He followed Naruto to the door, unable to say anything.

He watched Naruto put his coat on, then take his scarf and throw it on his shoulders without bothering to wrap it. He opened the door. "Goodnight."

Sasuke knew he had only hurt Naruto by going too far. He shouldn't have let himself get carried away. "Naruto, wait."

"Sasuke," Naruto sighed, turned around and set his piercing gaze on Sasuke. "I'm not mad."

Sasuke nodded hesitantly. For some reason, Naruto's words weren't easing the ache, but Naruto was probably hurt even more. "Okay."

XxX

It had been almost thirty minutes since he'd woken up and tried to fall back asleep, rolling in the bed hopelessly. With a loud grunt, he bolted out of the bed in frustration, making the sheets rustle. The sun was already up, and it was a lot brighter than when he'd first opened his eyes.

He pushed the glass door of the shower open and got in without waiting for the water to heat up first, because, well, he didn't really care about the chill right now. In fact, it _would_ be nice to stand in the frigid cold, wait until it made his mind go numb and stopped the erratic beating of his heart.

As he put his hands on the white tiles for support, he thought about last night for the umpteenth time, and just like every single one, he arrived at the conclusion that he's an utter asshole. Naruto had _warned_ him, told him not to touch him in a certain way. Sasuke had no idea what crossed the line of _just friends_ , and yeah, Naruto _kind of_ should have known that. But none of these justified Sasuke just going ahead and kissing Naruto out of the blue when all the other wanted to do was to probably relieve some stress with his friend.

Itachi's damn combi boiler must have been really expensive because, after only 5 seconds, the water heated up and started massaging Sasuke's muscles. The thick, familiar fog filled the room, making it harder for Sasuke to breathe. He quickly rubbed his scalp with some mint shampoo when he decided the shower wasn't helping with anything at all and got out after rinsing himself, ready to brush his teeth and get dressed.

The kitchen and the living room were empty. He had thought Itachi would be awake because he always woke up very early in the morning, but the guy had only Sunday to sleep in and waking up around 9 wasn't even sleeping in. He scratched his forehead, looking around the living room to see if there was anything he would want to do, but the sight only brought the memories of last night and he found himself back in the kitchen.

Preparing breakfast would take his mind off things even only for a limited time, which led him to check the refrigerator for some eggs. He didn't know any fancy recipes so Itachi would have to settle for a mediocre omelet. Scrambled eggs was another option, but Sasuke clearly remembered a talk where Itachi had mentioned Gordon Ramsay making Jimmy Kimmel (aka Itachi's roommate) cook scrambled eggs and dumping the whole pan on the stage when he didn't like it, so omelet it was.

He took out 2 eggs and the butter. He knew where the pans were by now, so he easily found one and placed it on the stove. After cracking the eggs in a bowl, whisking them and melting the butter, he cooked the omelet and placed it on a white plate, then cut it in half and put the other portion on his own plate. He stood for a second, eyeing the result and trying to decide if it was edible.

Salt. He'd forgotten the salt.

A loud sigh was heard and a clank, indicating the kettle was placed over the stove now. A nice, hot cup of tea would be nice. He'd seen some sausages, but he didn't really want to burn down the house, so he simply placed a jar of peanut butter and some strawberry jam on the table, and put two slices of bread in the toaster. Thankfully it had a timer because Sasuke literally jumped when they popped up, totally forgotten about it. His thoughts kept drifting off, he had no say in this and although it bothered the hell out of him, it still happened.

Calling Naruto for breakfast would be a dangerous move, and he would refuse anyway. Sasuke knew he had to find a way to get out of this mess somehow. The other time, when the blond was offended because Sasuke had insulted him was so much different. And in hindsight, Naruto was probably having a bad day and that was the reason why a simple word had an effect on him. But now, it was so freaking different. Sasuke had _kissed_ Naruto.

Completely vexed, his eyes roamed over the room, and he realized the kettle was already whistling. He turned off the gas and poured the boiling water into the cups that held tea bags. After placing them on the table as well, he left the kitchen to wake Itachi up. As much as he wanted his brother to rest well, he felt like his head would explode if he didn't find company.

He slowly opened the door of Itachi's room, walked in and took a peek at the sleeping man. His long, dark hair was tied up loosely, one stray strand on his pale face. His breathing was slow and even. The room was still quite dark, and after he pulled the blinds up, Sasuke sat on the edge and pressed his lips together, thinking about how he should wake his brother up. Doing it like Itachi had done would be uncomfortable for him because it wasn't his style, but a simple nudge didn't seem right either. He ended up softly touching Itachi's shoulder.

"Itachi. Wake up," he called in a hushed voice.

The older man opened his eyes without a second attempt from Sasuke. He closed a hand on his mouth and yawned. "Is something wrong?" He asked hoarsely.

Sasuke pulled his hand away from Itachi's shoulder. "I made breakfast."

Itachi squinted his eyes. The room was mostly lit up now, but it didn't appear to be the reason why Itachi was doing it. Sasuke tried to smile to reassure Itachi that he was fine. Itachi's lips curled up in response. "Give me a minute to wash my face."

Sasuke nodded. "I'll wait here."

After Sasuke laid on the still warm bed while waiting for Itachi, his brother used the bathroom and later, they both went to the kitchen. Itachi turned off the still on light and drew the red curtains of the room, letting the morning light in. "You're distracted."

Sasuke evaded the statement. "Tea is getting cold. Sit down, I'll bring it."

He answer came, so he took the two cups from the counter and placed one of them in front of Itachi, and the other, his own seat. "I forgot to put salt."

Itachi nodded. "Doesn't matter. It's fine."

They ate in silence except for the clinking of the silverware. Sasuke surprisingly managed to keep his mind off Naruto for some time, because he had another topic to think about: his brother.

Just like countless other times, Itachi read his mind again. "I'll clean the attic today. Will you lend me a hand?"

Sasuke pierced his dark eyes on Itachi's. "Of course."

When they were done eating, Sasuke took Itachi's empty plate and cleaned the table without his brother trying to stop him. Sasuke was thankful for that because just sitting there, waiting for him to finish would make his thoughts get even worse.

He contemplated whether he should tell Itachi or not as he threw away the tea bags and placed the cups in the dishwasher. Itachi knew Naruto a lot better than he did and more importantly, he could see the situation from the outside and have an impartial opinion on the matter.

He was forgetting something. He knew it.

He heard Itachi leave the kitchen, and he followed the man after he dried his hands with a towel. They headed straight to the attic instead of stalling with something else. He waited for his brother to unlock the stairs as he leaned against the wall, nervously gnawing his lip.

"You can tell me, you know," Itachi remarked. "I can see something is bothering you."

He cracked a knuckle but didn't respond. Itachi didn't push it, but simply gestured for Sasuke to climb first. Sasuke obeyed.

The sun was shining straight from the angle of the small window, making the attic incredibly bright. Now that Sasuke wasn't looking for anything in particular, he realized there were small boxes as well as bigger ones.

"Here's the plan. We first move the boxes and pile them up. Most hold books so it won't be a problem. Then I mop the floor, we clean the bookcase there," he pointed to the black bookcase behind the boxes that Sasuke hadn't noticed before, "and set the books out. After the big boxes are gone, we can go through the small ones that have old stuff in."

Sasuke attempted to take a deep breath but then he remembered all the dust and how it had made Naruto cough. "Sounds like a lot of work."

"I haven't had time to do this like, _ever_." Itachi smiled apologetically.

Sasuke stretched his back. "Then we better start."

xXx

After maybe 2 hours of cleaning, they had finally managed to move all the boxes, mopped the floor (which had been a pain in the ass because they had to use a hose to bring water up), carried the dirty bucket of water down and wiped the shelves clean. The books were in order, so all they had to do was to take them and place them without bothering to change their places, which was great because their muscles were really sore by now.

Sasuke folded the last cardboard box and threw it down in the hallway to get rid of later. The sun was long gone from the window's angle, leaving the room looking slightly gloomy. Having only one window sure had a share in this. At least the room was clean and free of dust now. Naruto would've liked it if he was here.

"You're in a daze again," Itachi spoke. "Are you sure it's nothing?"

Sasuke fidgeted uncomfortably, his chest tightening in an unfamiliar way. He knew he had to tell Itachi or Naruto would. It was better if he did it himself, but the thing was, he wasn't quite sure how.

Itachi sighed. "Let's go down. We better rest for a while or we won't be able to move days."

"Right," Sasuke approved and climbed the stairs down without waiting for Itachi. He washed his hands in the guest bathroom, because it was closer, and saw Itachi come out of his own room.

"You're quick. Like a ninja," he joked. "I bet you didn't even need my help to clean."

Itachi smiled. "I like doing things with you."

"Me too." He smiled back, but his must have looked a bit melancholic because Itachi's faltered.

"I'll get us some water," Itachi said, and went down the stairs with the cardboards in hands, leaving Sasuke on his own. Sasuke scraped the sole of his left foot on the carpet, his hands hanging by his sides awkwardly. On a whim, he got in his room and grabbed the green dinosaur on the desk. He caught a glimpse of their photo with Naruto in the process, and it made him flinch, but he didn't let it upset him even more as he jumped onto his bed and laid down.

The ceiling didn't look any more enticing than the floorboards. He hugged the plush to his chest.

"I brought lukewarm ones so—"

Sasuke directed his gaze toward Itachi to see why the man stopped talking. Itachi was standing there with two bottles of water in hands and staring at Sasuke. "What is it?" He asked.

Itachi shook his head. "Nothing. Here's your water," he handed a bottle to Sasuke and crawled onto the bed, lying right next to Sasuke after drinking some of the water.

"Thanks," said Sasuke, propped himself on an arm and took a swig before lying back down.

"I want to help you, Sasuke. I want to share your pain as well as your joy. But I can do that only if you let me." He shifted so he could face Sasuke. "Please tell me what's bothering you. I won't ask again if you say you really don't want to share."

Sasuke sucked his bottom lip to hide its quivering. He sucked in a harsh breath. "I kissed Naruto."

Itachi's mouth formed an O shape as his brows furrowed.

"It all happened so fast," Sasuke started telling in a momentary panic. "We were sitting on the couch, then there was alcohol, and—"

"Wait," Itachi interrupted. "I don't follow. Start from the beginning. When did this happen?"

"Last night. He came over after you went to bed," he told. "I was drinking. He was pretty upset over something, so I thought chatting a bit would help."

"Then what led to a kiss?"

"I don't know," Sasuke raked a hand through his hair. "We were talking about movies. He suggested we would roleplay to figure something out…" He pinched his nose, getting frustrated. "The details are not clear."

"I see. But there should be something that triggered it. What were you guys talking about?"

"Does it really matter?" Sasuke huffed.

"Maybe."

"He said something about Kiba and a guy he's pining over or something. I was kind of drunk."

Itachi hummed thoughtfully. "Do you have any idea about why you did it?"

"No. I got caught up in the moment, or—" he stopped. "Wait, he said we should pretend to be the other one."

Itachi frowned. "What?"

"I was Naruto and he was Sasuke. He told me to act how I thought he would. And he was hugging me earlier, like, his head was on my chest. We lay down like that."

A grunt was heard and Itachi rubbed his face with both hands. "I swear that boy was starting to get better."

"What the hell does that supposed to mean?" Sasuke argued, although he knew Itachi didn't mean anything bad, a weird, _protective_ side of him came out.

"He acts impulsively all the time. He should've known better than that," he murmured and pulled his hands away to look at Sasuke. "More importantly. Did you… like it?"

"The kiss?"

"Yes."

Sasuke started looking at the dresser. "It was nice, I guess." He felt his face getting hot at the memory. "Comforting. Exciting."

Suddenly, Itachi started to smile.

"Why are you…?" Sasuke's eyes widened in puzzlement.

"It was your first, wasn't it?"

Sasuke nodded. "How did you know?"

"You're blushing, brother." He put a hand on Sasuke's cheek, and it felt cold against the heated skin. "Unless you two have done other things, I'm pretty sure the only explanation is that. You don't strike me as someone who would blush over a casual kiss."

"Stop it," Sasuke pushed Itachi's hand away. "So what?"

"I'm just surprised is all. Most people have their first kisses a lot earlier than your age. It's fine though."

"I'm not interested in… you know," he explained. "I wasn't planning this to happen either. It just did."

"You said you liked it. Does that mean you like Naruto?"

"Of course I like Naruto," Sasuke threw him a look like he'd grown another head. "That's why I like spending time with him. Can't say that I like many people the way I like him."

"But you said you found the kiss exciting."

"So?" Sasuke said indifferently. "Isn't that how it feels with everyone?"

Itachi looked at him in disbelief. "No."

"What do you mean?"

"Look, Sasuke," Itachi shuffled a bit. "I can't kiss you to prove that it really doesn't feel that way with everyone because of obvious reasons."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"But I'll just tell you that you should try to figure out what's going on between you two. Another thing is, Naruto is… sensitive. He acts on impulses and ends up hurting himself, so I know that it's not fair to ask you this, but could you try to help him out a bit?"

"He said he'd seen his father die right before his eyes."

Itachi averted his gaze. "That did happen."

"And he told me not to touch him intimately."

A dark eyebrow was raised.

Sasuke explained. "I was putting some Vaseline on his back and I apparently touched unnecessarily or something. Then when I asked if I could hug him, he said there's no need to ask. I don't get it."

"I'm sure you're aware of his sexual preferences."

"Yes."

Itachi sighed. "Have you tried doing some research on the matter? I can explain some stuff, but I'm sure people with personal experiences would tell it better."

"That actually is a good idea," Sasuke agreed. "But what do I do now?"

Itachi reached for his hand and held it in his. "Your hand is sweaty. You really do care about Naruto, don't you?"

"I do," he nodded. "I can't come up with a logical explanation. But I do."

"Emotions are not related with logic. You like someone, _love_ someone, and that's it. You don't have to have a reason."

Sasuke sighed. "I could never understand them completely. But I'll try."

"Thanks for telling me," Itachi smiled and squeezed his hand. "You know that I love you very much, right?"

Sasuke's heart made a funny thing in his chest, and he found himself squeezing Itachi's hand back. "I know."

Itachi chuckled - possibly at the blush painting his cheeks because he was feeling all hot again, and pulled Sasuke closer to plant a chaste kiss on his forehead.

XxX

Sasuke nervously rang the doorbell and clutched the plastic container in his hands tighter. Instead of going through the small boxes like planned, they had baked cookies, and Itachi had somehow convinced Sasuke to bring some to Naruto. He licked his lips and gazed up at the setting sun that colored the sky in the shades of red and orange, creating a fantastic vista.

Footfall was heard, then the door opened with a click to reveal blond hair that resembled a bird's nest, thick framed spectacles placed on Naruto's nose and cerulean orbs that looked at him with both surprise and anxiety. He was holding a book with a black cover in his hand. It looked ancient.

"Hello," he greeted Sasuke politely. "I wasn't expecting to see you today."

Sasuke's gaze lowered to the red, baggy t-shirt Naruto was wearing, then the gray sweatpants that hung low on his hips. "Me neither."

"You brought cookies?"

"Yes. Itachi told me you like chocolate chip," he held out the container. Naruto stared at it for a second before accepting.

"Thanks. I didn't know you baked." He smiled a bit, but Sasuke could see it was done half-heartedly.

"I don't. I only helped Itachi do it." He bit his lip, which caused Naruto's gaze to draw to it before he looked back up. Sasuke took a long, deep breath. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about last night."

Naruto didn't look him in the eye when he answered. "S'fine. I shouldn't have left like that."

"You…" Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Why did you kiss back? I was obviously out of my mind after a bottle of wine and that goofy conversation, but I'm _pretty sure_ you were sober. What were you thinking?"

Naruto raised his book and looked at the page number, then closed it and put it on the console table by the door. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"That makes the two of us," Sasuke mumbled silently and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I hope we're okay."

"Hm. Totally," Naruto nodded, his face neutral. "Can I just ask though… How did it feel?"

"Why is everybody asking this question?" Sasuke groaned.

"You told Itachi?" Naruto raised a brow. "I thought you'd keep it to yourself."

"He's my brother. Of course I told him." He eyed the small section of the building's peeled paint. "Are you uncomfortable about that?"

"No, it's fine," Naruto pulled his pants up with a hand so they wouldn't unravel any more of his body parts. "I'm actually glad that you started to share with him. And you don't really have to answer my question, I was just asking."

Sasuke licked his lips. He could easily remember Naruto's sweet taste, body warm against his as they softly kissed and—

"It felt nice," he confessed. "Really nice."

Naruto looked taken aback, but he smiled nonetheless. It was soft and sweet, showing affection despite the obvious sadness still lingering in his eyes. Sasuke wasn't really sure if that was his fault. "Yeah?"

He nodded meekly. His face started to feel hot again. He wondered if that was starting to become a habit. "How did it feel for you?"

"Hm. Not bad, I guess." He grinned and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "No. I have plenty of experience to compare it with, but it did feel intimate. You…" He put the container on the book and turned to Sasuke again. "You're someone that matters greatly to me. Like, more than you know."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow.

"And that might be the reason why I really liked it." A blush was clear on his tanned cheeks now. "But Sasuke, I can't risk ruining our friendship."

"Ruin it how?" Sasuke questioned. "It was just a kiss. Nothing's ruined… right?"

Naruto's mouth went agape. "No." He took his spectacles off and tucked them into his shirt's collar. "You wanna come in? It's difficult to explain things here."

"Itachi's waiting. Maybe some other time."

"Oh. Okay." Naruto smiled again.

Sasuke couldn't help but smile back.

"You should smile more often. It suits you."

Sasuke hung his head for his bangs to cover his flushed face. He was used to compliments, but when it was Naruto saying them, and doing it with full honesty and that stupid, affectionate look in his eyes, it flustered Sasuke. "I'm going then."

"Thanks again for the cookies." Naruto waved goodbye and Sasuke felt his sharp gaze piercing on his back until he disappeared out of his sight.


	8. Oración

When Sasuke entered the living room, still trying to recover from his flustered state, Itachi was lazily sitting on the couch with his legs crossed. Two glasses of milk and a plate of still warm cookies were waiting on the coffee table.

"Seriously? Milk?" Sasuke raised his brows and sat down next to Itachi. TV was on, but Sasuke didn't really feel like watching International House Hunters, so he took the remote and started flipping through channels until he found BBC America. Instead of a low-budget soap opera, Sherlock was on.

"I bet you've seen this countless times," Itachi remarked. "Because I have."

"What kind of mayor has time to watch TV enough to know every show?" Sasuke wasn't a huge fan of TV himself. He usually preferred to watch it later on Netflix if he found a show interesting enough to watch. Although, Sherlock was too good to not watch when the episodes were first aired. He took a cookie with his two fingers, examined it before taking a bite. It wasn't too sweet.

"A lonely one," Itachi smiled and ruffled Sasuke's hair with his empty hand. The other was holding the glass of milk.

"You're making it a habit," groaned Sasuke, and fixed his spikes. "Wasn't Naruto here to keep you company?"

"We both have our separate lives. He goes out almost every day."

"I thought you said he sleeps here often," he sipped his milk.

"He does." Itachi wrapped his hand around his ankle and fixed his gaze on the TV. "I can't stop him if he wants to turn into an alcoholic, but I always tell him that he can come here whenever he wants."

"Does he drink that much?" Sasuke grimaced at the thought. Naruto hadn't seemed like a guy who would drink to drown his sadness. Obviously, Sasuke still had a lot to learn about his friend.

"Occasionally." Itachi shrugged. "Ah, the suicide scene. I love Watson's face when Sherlock jumps."

"Are you sure you're not a psychopath?" Sasuke smirked and chewed the rest of his cookie. Itachi was a good cook, a good baker. He briefly wondered if there was anything he wasn't good at.

Itachi threw him a knowing look in earnest. " _I'm not a psychopath, Sasuke. I'm a high-functioning sociopath. Do your research_."

"How do you manage to say it with such intensity?" Sasuke chuckled at his brother's acting skills. Well, another thing he was ridiculously good at.

"Simple. It doesn't even require talent. You kind of get used to it after attending so many meetings where you have to listen to a bunch of coots talk for hours."

"But don't you like politics?"

"Not necessarily," Itachi downed the rest of his milk and placed the empty glass back on the coffee table. "It's not a safe field. I enjoy being the mayor despite its bad sides, but I can't say I absolutely love politics."

"That sounds…" Sasuke pinched the soft fabric of his sweatpants. "I don't know. It's like the things you said are in contradiction. And aren't you too young to be mayor?"

Itachi smiled in response. "We should get back to work."

"Alright," Sasuke got up and shook off the crumbles from his lap.

"You're cleaning them tomorrow," Itachi folded his arms across his chest while he watched Sasuke do it.

Sasuke nodded, but only after frowning. "It's not like I have anything to do anyway."

As he took hold of the empty plate and their glasses, he saw Itachi get close, and next thing he knew, his brother flicked his forehead.

"Itachi," he hissed. "What was that for?"

"For being adorable," Itachi smirked at the pissed expression on Sasuke's face. Sasuke only shot daggers at him, since he wouldn't be able to do anything else with his hands full.

After he dumped the things he was holding in the kitchen, he went up to the attic. Itachi was already there – with the lights turned on.

"Only if I'd known there was a lamp here," he commented as he stood there, watching Itachi carry the small boxes from the corners they had moved them to clean the place. "We found that dinosaur in the dark. The moonlight didn't help much."

"That's because you two decided to do things on your own. You should know that I wouldn't reject your wish if you asked me."

"It was a spontaneous move."

He saw a few camping chairs now that there weren't many objects around. They were standing against the big bookshelf, folded. He grabbed two and brought them in the middle of the room, unfolded them and settled in one.

"Thanks." Itachi dragged the other one and sat down. They weren't dusty, and it led Sasuke to think that they were used recently. Maybe Itachi liked camping?

"Do you have many friends?" Sasuke found himself asking. It just didn't seem right to think Itachi would go camping with Naruto. And he'd never seen a friend of Itachi's. It sounded weird for a person – especially as popular as Itachi – to have only Naruto as a friend.

"Not many, but some," he ripped the tape off of a middle-sized box. "They all moved years ago. Oh, actually," he looked up. "One of them wants to see you. You won't remember her, but she liked you very much."

"What's her name?" Sasuke inquired.

"Konan. She was a classmate of mine. They used to come over and we would hang out before—" He stopped talking abruptly. Sasuke knitted his brows in frustration. Why was Itachi not finishing his sentence?

"Anyway. She's married to Yahiko now. Another friend of mine." He took out a book from the box. Sasuke squinted to see it better, because the light bulb wasn't exactly a very powerful one, and no, it wasn't a normal book.

"Is that a…?" He gulped in anticipation. His hands were starting to feel cold with nervousness.

"Yes. A photo album," Itachi confirmed his suspicions. "Come closer."

Sasuke held the arms of the chair and walked toward Itachi. He sat back down once he was close enough to see what his brother was holding.

"Comfortable?" Itachi asked before opening the album. Sasuke nodded. His head was leaning on Itachi's shoulder slightly to see better.

The first one was just a newborn baby, with wrinkled skin and kind of… ugly. Sasuke secretly hoped it wasn't him.

"This was taken an hour after you were born," Itachi said with his voice warm and soothing.

"I look horrifying," Sasuke commented and wrinkled his nose. When he realized the detail made him look like the baby him, he immediately stopped doing it.

"Wait until _that_ photo."

" _What_ photo?"

"Where Naruto persuaded you to jump in a puddle with him." Itachi sighed.

" _God_ ," Sasuke moaned. He was thankful that no one else was here right now. Naruto obviously was capable of making Sasuke do stupid things even when they were little.

"Anyway," Itachi pointed to the next photo. Sasuke looked much better here, even cute, one would say. His baby hair was dark just like now, but the wrinkles were gone and he was wearing a light blue bodysuit.

"Much better."

Itachi hummed in agreement, then turned the page.

Sasuke completely froze. Only he and his mother were in the photo; the beautiful woman was wearing a black dress, her silky raven hair was down on her shoulders. She had Sasuke cradled in her arms. Even by just looking at it, Sasuke could tell how much his mother had loved him. It was absolutely impossible to show even half of the affection his mother showed here without completely adoring a person, and it was just a fucking photograph.

"Sasuke?" Itachi shook him from his shoulders. " _Breathe_."

Sasuke breathed with a gasp. He wasn't aware that he was holding his breath.

"Are you okay? Maybe we shouldn't—"

" _I'm fine_." He answered, his voice freezing cold, and pushed Itachi's hand away. The last time he'd done this he'd had the opportunity to go out and walk for a while, but he wasn't sure he could do that again. Especially now that he was starting to feel a bit dizzy.

Itachi closed the album and put it back in the box. Sasuke tried telling him to stop, but Itachi gave him a look that made him pause.

"Sasuke," his voice was low. He reached and took Sasuke's pale hands into his warm ones.

Sasuke had never thought of Itachi as an emotionless man. From the moment they'd seen each other, he could always clearly see how Itachi looked at him, how much he cared for his little brother. There had been moments when he was rendered speechless; moments that made him want to cry because they were ludicrously sentimental. But just the look on Itachi's face right now was making Sasuke bite his lip enough to draw blood so he wouldn't break down.

It was all about the people, really. Sasuke didn't have many people in his life that could slip through the cracks in his heart. He cared about some, yes, but he'd never thought there would be people who could manage to make him go through so many emotions in short amounts of time.

Realization hit.

He wasn't homesick; because _this_ was home.

"Look at me," Itachi held Sasuke's cheek tenderly and angled his head up so he could see Itachi. "I'll tell you Sasuke. I'll tell you all, but…"

"But?" Sasuke urged him to go on.

"…Promise you won't hate me," his voice was uncharacteristically shaky and he wasn't trying to hide it at all. "Just… promise. Blame me, don't talk to me. Whatever you want, but just don't hate me."

A bad feeling washed over Sasuke. What could possibly Itachi have done? Was it that bad? Why did he think Sasuke would hate him in the end? And more importantly, would Sasuke be able to forgive him?

The answer wasn't exactly hard to find. Itachi was the only living relative he had. Whatever it was, he could probably forgive, even though he might need some time to digest it.

"…I promise." He placed his hand on Itachi's, held it reassuringly and brought it down next to the other.

A small hint of relief appeared in Itachi's dark eyes before misery returned. Before the older man started speaking, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes to calm himself. Sasuke watched him with both curiosity and anxiousness.

"It was a sunny day."

XxX

 _Itachi adjusted his tie in the mirror and smiled at himself. Today was gonna be a great day. His father had an important meeting in St. Paul, and he'd said they would all go together. After many months without properly spending time with him, he was cheerful about going on a trip with his father whom he loved very much. Plus, he was wearing a suit dress tailored for him._

 _He heard weird sounds as he zipped his suitcase. It was like… was someone scraping the wood? Then he heard a soft pant and realized it was only his little brother, Sasuke, trying to open the door._

" _You could just knock, you know?" He opened the door and let him in. Sasuke was just wearing a short-sleeved t-shirt and pants. "Why aren't you dressed yet?"_

 _Sasuke pouted and his bottom lip stuck out. He was the most adorable thing Itachi had ever seen in his life. "I feel sick."_

 _Itachi narrowed his eyes and sat on his knees to get down on Sasuke's eye level. "Come here," he patted his lap. Sasuke slowly walked and_ _lolled_ _in his lap instead of running and jumping him like he always did._

 _He put a hand on Sasuke's forehead, which was a bit difficult to accomplish since Sasuke had decided to act his age for once and was struggling. It was odd behavior for him._

" _You have a fever," Itachi shook his head. "You should wear a jacket. I'll find_ _mother_ _to get you some medicine."_

 _He tried to get up, but Sasuke clung onto him. "Don't_ _goooo."_

 _With a sigh, he hugged Sasuke and lifted him, leaving the room to find his mother. Sasuke's pale arms were wrapped around his neck as he hummed a song from his favorite cartoon._

" _Have you seen Naruto?" Itachi asked to distract Sasuke from his pain when he couldn't see Mikoto in the kitchen. "I thought you two were playing with your Legos."_

 _Sasuke scoffed and his warm breath hit Itachi's neck, tickling him a bit. "Naruto is stupid. I don't wanna play with him."_

" _Don't say that about your friend," Itachi warned, but his tone was adoring. "You know he loves you."_

" _No. He's stupid. He threw a Lego at me because I didn't wanna play House."_

" _Why didn't you want to play House, Sasuke? You know we set a rule that you would first play what you want, then what he wants. It's not fair to say you won't do it after he played with you." He looked at the living room, but no one was there. He heard footsteps coming from upstairs and started to climb the stairs while he tightened his grip on Sasuke._

" _But he said he was gonna be the dad! I wanna be the dad!" Sasuke yelled and started to kick Itachi. As much as he was struggling to get away, Itachi held him tighter._

" _Can't you both be dads?"_

" _NO!"_

 _He mumbled something about 4-year-old's and their behavior problems under his breath before starting to rub Sasuke's back. Somehow, Sasuke stopped kicking Itachi's legs and put his chin on his shoulder, then went back to humming. This time, it was Naruto's favorite cartoon's theme song._

 _Itachi held back a chuckle to avoid pissing Sasuke off again. He propped himself on the wall to avoid dropping Sasuke and knocked his parents' bedroom door._

" _Come in," Mikoto's voice was heard. He opened the door, even though he struggled a bit in the process. Sasuke was getting bigger and growing heavier each day._

" _Mother," he said. "Sasuke has a fever."_

 _Mikoto put down the folded shirt in her hand and looked at her smallest child worriedly. "Could you bring Benylin from the medicine cabinet?" She walked to Itachi and took Sasuke from him._

" _Yes, mother," he nodded and hurriedly went to the bathroom to fetch the small bottle for his little brother. He was not a short kid, but he still had to use a stool to reach the cabinet. After he took the necessary item and put it on the counter, he placed the stool back in its place next to the washing machine and grabbed the bottle again, then took a spoon and a bottle of water from the kitchen and made his way back to the bedroom._

 _Sasuke was lying on the bed. His chubby cheeks looked slightly flushed. At least he was wearing a dark red cardigan now. When she heard Itachi come in, Mikoto hurriedly zipped the suitcase and took the bottle. She sat down on the edge of the bed. "You're such a good brother, Itachi," she smiled at him gently as she uncapped the bottle and poured some of the liquid in it. "His fever is not too bad. He'll be okay after drinking this."_

" _Won't Sasuke get to wear his suit, mother?" He asked and urged Sasuke to sit up. Mikoto held the spoon for Sasuke to drink the syrup, and thankfully, Sasuke made no objections. He really must have been feeling ill._

" _Maybe when he feels better. Let's just leave him to rest. We'll depart shortly. Is all your stuff ready?"_

 _Itachi meekly nodded at her._

" _You didn't forget your toothbrush, did you?"_

" _No, mother," he smiled. Mikoto patted the spot next to her for Itachi to sit down, which he did gladly. His mother stroked his hair affectionately and pulled him close, planting a soft kiss on his forehead._

" _I'm glad you're such a good boy," she murmured. "Sasuke has a great role model."_

 _Itachi's cheeks felt hot. He liked spending time with his mother. At the same time, he wanted to go to St. Paul as soon as possible and spend time with his father too. Of course, when his meeting was over. "Where's father?" He asked and started to swing his legs._

" _With Minato. They went to make sure everything is alright in City Hall before we left." She brushed Itachi's bangs aside and sighed. "You need a haircut."_

" _I can get one when we come back," he hopped off the bed and after casting a last glance at_ _Sasuke,_ _started walking to the door. "I will carry my suitcase downstairs."_

" _Be careful," Mikoto chuckled and got up to resume the preparations for their journey._

 _Itachi left his suitcase in the garden and went back inside. While they were away, he wouldn't be able to do his homework, so until they needed to leave, he sat in the kitchen and did them._

 _When the departure time arrived, Mikoto was carrying Sasuke. Kushina came over to them, she was holding Naruto's hand. The blond boy was dressed in casual jeans and a t-shirt, unlike Itachi's dress suit._

 _He escaped Kushina's grip easily since she was busy talking to Mikoto. Itachi watched the boy run toward himself. "Itachiii. Why is Sasuke sleeping?" He pouted and leaned his back against the black VIP car of Uchihas._

" _He has a fever," Itachi answered distractedly. Then he remembered about their little conflict and decided to ask Naruto's opinion about the matter. "Did you two have a fight? Sasuke told me you threw a Lego at him."_

 _Naruto blushed visibly. Knowing him almost as well as Sasuke, Itachi figured it was because he was embarrassed about Itachi hearing his bad behavior. "He was_ _bein'_ _mean to me."_

 _Itachi sighed and narrowed his eyes at his parents. They were still talking with_ _Namikazes. He didn't want to be late!_

" _Can't you let him be the dad for once?"_

" _But…" Naruto rubbed his nose. "But I wanna be the dad!"_

 _He kneeled beside him. "Naruto. Find a way to solve your little problem and let me know by the end of the trip."_

 _Naruto confusedly scratched the back of his head. "Me?"_

" _Yes. You." He smiled and tousled Naruto's hair. The boy knitted his light eyebrows and tried fixing them, which ended with him failing and turning it into an even worse state._

" _You think…_ _I can_ _come with you guys? Mom and Dad talk about things I don't understand. It's boring," Naruto said._

 _Kushina shouted to him from their own car. "Naruto!"_

 _Naruto's orbs dilated in excitement. He looked at Itachi like he was waiting for him to say 'yes'._

" _Ask your mom," he offered._

 _Naruto bolted with his short legs to ask his mom as Mikoto strolled over to the car and Itachi opened the door, helping his mother with putting his brother in his seat. Sasuke opened his eyes and sneezed._

" _Itachi! Mom said I can come with you!" Naruto yelled. Itachi waved him to come, and the boy ran, thrilled to be in the same car with his friend and Itachi._

 _Mikoto smiled at them from her seat and told them to get in, and they all did. Sasuke was sitting in the middle, his short legs did not the ground. Itachi and Naruto sat on his both sides._

" _Hey," Naruto greeted Sasuke with a huge grin on his face. When he saw Sasuke's flushed cheeks, his grin faltered. "Sorry for throwing a Lego at you. Are you okay?"_

" _Hn," Sasuke pouted. "Nii-san, have you brought my dinosaur?"_

" _Why are you calling him_ _nii-san?" Naruto asked. When Sasuke kept ignoring him, he nudged him with his elbow._

" _It's Japanese for 'brother'," Itachi answered it for him and unzipped his backpack, then found the green plush that belonged to him. Sasuke thought it was his for a reason, but Itachi didn't really mind. His property was also his brother's._

 _Sasuke took it from his hand and hugged it to his chest. Naruto watched the two with wide, blue eyes. "I wish I had a brother too," he mumbled before turning his head and looking out of the window. He probably couldn't even see the road with his eyes at the level of the door handle._

 _Fugaku finally got in and started the engine after shutting the door. "Naruto. I see you didn't leave Sasuke alone even here."_

" _He's my friend," Naruto shrugged. Itachi smiled at Naruto's dedication and loyalty. When his father started driving, he found his book in his backpack and placed it on his lap._

 _Sasuke finally decided it was enough of his moody state and the two started to whisper stuff in each other's ears and giggle. Itachi looked at them with the corner of his eye, glad that they were getting along no matter what, and started reading his book._

 _It was a little past noon when they arrived at St. Paul. The city was really big compared to the small town they lived in. Kushina, Mikoto, Itachi, Naruto, and Sasuke were sitting in the hotel lobby as the two men were checking them in. Itachi was quietly watching the two kids apparently brawling about something as he held onto the dinosaur Sasuke had given him, and suddenly, Sasuke's pout disappeared and he started grinning. Itachi quirked a brow in amusement. Then, Naruto shamelessly took Sasuke's hand in his and joined Sasuke's grin with loud laughter._

 _Kushina stopped telling Mikoto about the cake recipe she'd recently found out about and looked at the two boys to see why Naruto was laughing. A small smirk spread on her face as she nudged Mikoto to look at them too._

 _Itachi started gnawing on his bottom lip. What was taking them so long to check in? He wanted to see the City Hall of St. Paul, then his father would take them to eat ice cream!_

" _Nii-san," Sasuke interrupted his thoughts. He didn't realize the two were by his side now. They were still holding hands. "Naruto wants to tell you something."_

" _What is it?" He smiled at the blond boy._

 _Naruto fidgeted a bit before gathering some courage to say what he was meaning to say. "We both decided to be dads!" He exclaimed._

" _Oh?" He looked at Sasuke. His brother was blushing and smiling apologetically. "That's a nice solution you have found, Naruto."_

 _Naruto nodded happily._

" _Kushina. Mikoto."_

 _Naruto's father, Minato Namikaze called out to them to say they were ready to go. His eyes lingered on the connected hands of two kids for a while before he chuckled, shook his head and brushed a blond strand out of his eye before taking hold of two suitcases to carry them to the elevators._

 _Itachi thought it was weird they didn't have someone to do it. They were important people, after all. In movies, important people always had bodyguards._

 _Two women looked at their kids with the intention to tell them they were leaving, but Itachi had already done that._

" _Sasuke, you wanna watch Bugs Bunny when we go up to our room?" Naruto asked while they walked behind their_ _mother's._

" _Silly. Our rooms are separate," Sasuke responded with a huff. Itachi felt his forehead, which made Sasuke flinch since he was obviously so lost in talking with Naruto, he'd forgotten Itachi was here._

" _Your fever is gone," Itachi noted, then flicked Sasuke's forehead affectionately. Sasuke rubbed the spot with his free hand. "But we'll probably need to leave after we put our stuff. You can watch Bugs Bunny in the evening."_

 _Naruto frowned and pulled his hand out of Sasuke's to cross his arms on his chest. Itachi chuckled at his childishness._

 _Sasuke stared at his empty hand for a while._

XxX

" _Thank you for being a brother for Naruto too." Minato surprised Itachi by placing his hand on his shoulder. Itachi was sitting on a couch while Naruto and Sasuke watched TV. There wasn't enough time to watch Bugs Bunny as Itachi had thought. They would leave once their mothers were done settling, but they still had to wait for about 10 minutes and Itachi knew the two boys were bored after a minute of touring their hotel rooms and had turned the TV on. They were watching Phineas and Ferb at the moment as they sucked on apple flavored lollipops, lying on Naruto's bed together._

 _Itachi looked up from the book he was trying to read despite the boys' chatter and offered a small smile to Minato. "No problem. I love him as a brother, too, and he apparently likes me as well."_

" _Yeah. He won't stop talking about Sasuke, and when he finally decides to shut up, he starts talking about you."_

 _Itachi giggled and stole a glance at the blond boy._

" _Anyway, I should get going. Your father's waiting for me."_

 _With a nod, Minato left the room to find Fugaku. Itachi tried to concentrate on his book again, but Naruto was too loud. The boy wouldn't ever shut up._

" _Wooah! I'll_ _mawwy_ _Isabella when I_ _gwow_ _up._ _She's_ _sow_ _pwetty!"_

 _Sasuke snorted and took his lollipop out of his mouth, something Naruto hadn't bothered to do when he spoke. "She's gonna marry Phineas. Not you."_

" _You'we_ _just_ _jeawous." Naruto kept his eyes on the screen like he was enchanted as he answered. Sasuke frowned, looked at Itachi, then back at Naruto._

" _Vanessa is much cooler anyway," he shoved his lollipop back in his mouth, but after a_ _second,_ _pulled it out and hopped off the bed to throw it in the bin._

 _Kushina chose that moment to come in. She was wearing a simple, black dress; her crimson red hair was attracting all the attention as always. "Kids, we're leaving. Naruto, turn the TV off."_

" _But Mom!" He whined._

" _No. Itachi, could you bring the kids?"_

" _Sure," he stood up, brushed his suit dress to get rid of any wrinkles and pushed the round button to turn the TV off._

" _I swear you're a life saver," Kushina beamed at him and waved goodbye before getting out and leaving the door ajar._

 _Naruto muttered something Itachi couldn't understand, but he followed them out of the room anyway. Sasuke was holding Itachi's hand tightly. His chubby cheeks were puffed, his eyes were unfocused like he was contemplating something._

" _What's wrong, Sasuke?" Itachi whispered low enough that Naruto wouldn't hear them. He doubted he would even if he asked loudly anyway; the boy was walking leisurely as he sucked on his lollipop and daydreamed about his future wife._

 _Sasuke turned his head to the side a bit to see if Naruto would hear his answer. He must've arrived at the same conclusion with Itachi because he didn't exactly whisper. "I won't have a best friend anymore if Naruto gets married."_

 _Itachi raised an amused eyebrow. "You'll get married too, one day. And it doesn't mean you two still won't be best friends."_

" _But I want Naruto for myself!" Sasuke whisper-yelled. Itachi pressed the button of the elevator with a sigh. He knew they were best friends, but Sasuke's loyalty for Naruto seemed a little too much for a 4-year-old, just like Naruto's was to Sasuke. Naruto would pretend he doesn't care, but Itachi knew he did because Sasuke would feign indifference to people other than Itachi too._

 _Answering and saying he couldn't have Naruto all for himself would only piss the boy, so Itachi kept his mouth shut. Besides, Naruto was already by their side._

" _Sasuke. I have something to tell you," Naruto poked Sasuke's shoulder. His lollipop was not inside of his mouth anymore._

" _What is it?" Sasuke asked as he angled his head up haughtily and puckered his lips._

" _I changed my mind. I'm not gonna marry Isabella. But only if you promise to not marry Vanessa."_

 _Sasuke narrowed his eyes and glared at him. Itachi, on the other hand, was biting the inside of his cheek so he wouldn't burst out laughing. The elevator door opened and he held both Sasuke and Naruto's hands, leading them in. Someone had already pushed the button 0._

 _He felt Naruto's hand get slightly sweaty, which caused him to grin. These two were fun to watch. He couldn't wait to see them grow up._

 _Their parents were already waiting outside of the hotel. Naruto escaped his grip and ran to Kushina, then hugged her legs tightly. A surprised expression crossed her beautiful features before the red haired woman picked him up and hugged him to his chest._

 _Meanwhile, Sasuke was still with Itachi. As much as he wanted to observe their childish behavior for a longer period of time, he knew they were supposed to be there for his father's meeting shortly, so he urged Sasuke to get in the car and closed the door._

 _The drive was quiet. Without Naruto, it was only Mikoto who tried to make conversation. Itachi once more wondered why his father didn't have a driver._

 _He cleared his throat. "Father. I was wondering why you don't have a driver. That way, you could prepare for your meetings in the car without worrying about driving, which could earn you more time to spend with us."_

 _Fugaku chuckled deeply. It was a rare thing for Itachi to hear. "It's always better to do important things yourself, but I see your point. Don't worry, we will spend plenty of time together today."_

" _Alright, father."_

 _He felt something weird in the air. Not something he could explain, it was more like a bad feeling coiling in his stomach, but he was restless, his breathing turning erratic. To find some comfort, he wrapped an arm around Sasuke and hugged his brother to his chest as his eyes closed and his breathing evened out even if just a little bit._

xXx

 _When the door opened, Sasuke rushed out toward Naruto. Mikoto only sighed and told something to Fugaku about… who knows? Itachi was too excited to care. The feeling from earlier was still there, although he felt better compared to the first moment he'd felt the weird pang._

 _Taking care of kids when they were in important places had always been his duty even though he was a kid himself. His parents had always told him he was very mature for his age, and well, he knew he was clever. And he was careful with kids. But despite all of that, he didn't want to stay in the hotel alone with the kids just in case._

 _They entered the City Hall. The building looked magnificent, it was much greater than the one in Stillwater. It only made sense to Itachi since this was an actual city. A loud gasp and then a giggle was heard. He didn't need to turn around to know it was Naruto. Sasuke was walking with Kushina and Naruto this time. Itachi was fine with that, he wanted to be with adults at the moment. He looked up to see his father's stoic face. Minato had a much calmer expression, but it was the man's nature from what he'd understood by now._

 _Even with his 10-year-old self, Itachi knew families didn't go to meetings together. It just didn't make any sense to him. Why would three kids and two wives need to be there for a monthly meeting? Just as he was about to ask about it to his mother, an unfamiliar voice greeted him._

" _Itachi. Look at how much you've grown up."_

 _With a start, Itachi looked at the stranger. The man was wearing a black, expensive suit, he had dark, long hair. The spectacles made him look very wise, and Itachi doubted he would look less smart without them. If he had to guess, he would say the man was a bit older than his father, but not too much._

 _Fugaku must have noticed his bewilderment. "Itachi. Say hello to your uncle Madara."_

 _Itachi's bottom lip quivered and the sickening feeling found its place back in his stomach. He clenched his fist and dug his nails_ _into_ _his palm to stop his voice from cracking. "Hello, uncle."_

" _Well, I'm not exactly his uncle, but there's no way I'll let him call me Mr. Uchiha, right?" The man talked to Fugaku with a smile plastered on his face. He had a very sharp jawline, but the smile looked incredibly forced to Itachi. The smile his father offered as a response wasn't any more genuine, either. He resolved that he didn't like this guy at all._

 _Madara pushed his glasses on his nose and put a hand on Itachi's head before walking with loud footsteps and stopping in front of Sasuke. "I haven't seen this little man before."_

 _Mikoto gently urged Sasuke to say hello, but the boy took hold of the fabric of his mother's dress and hid behind her._

" _It's fine," Madara smiled again and ruffled Naruto's hair. Itachi wrinkled his nose and glanced at his father, then the blond deputy mayor. He couldn't make out much from Fugaku but the slightly worried look lingering in blue eyes that Minato couldn't hide behind his bright smile only made the feeling worse. He took a deep breath to stop his body from trembling._

" _Mikoto. Kushina." He nodded as a greeting and turned around to face Fugaku and Minato. "Let's go ahead and take our seats. The meeting's about to start."_

 _They looked at each other before following Madara. Itachi licked his suddenly very dry lips and with the instinct to be protected, held his mother's hand. Mikoto, who would usually find it unusual when Itachi sought comfort, squeezed his hand without a word._

 _Maybe he wasn't the only one feeling this way._

 _He tugged Mikoto's skirt to catch her attention. When she looked at him, he raised on his fingertips to whisper in her ear. "Why are we here? Can't we wait somewhere else? Who was that man?"_

 _Mikoto shook her head and offered Kushina to sit down somewhere. The building looked quite empty for this city, so it was easy to find a seat. Sasuke and Naruto sat together while Kushina,_ _Mikoto_ _, and Itachi were on a three seater._

" _He's a relative, and the one who invited us here," Mikoto answered him._

" _What's wrong, Itachi?" Kushina heard them and asked as she brushed a red strand of hair aside._

 _Itachi's chest rose and fell quickly. "I don't feel well."_

 _Mikoto's lips curled down, her hand found a place on Itachi's forehead. "You don't have a fever."_

" _No, not like…" He trailed off. "Are we gonna sit here for hours?"_

" _Ah, no dear. This is a short meeting," Kushina smiled brightly. Naruto pulled Sasuke's hair. Kushina rolled her eyes and smacked Naruto's thigh._

" _But don't they always take long? At least for half an hour?"_

" _Mom. I have to pee." Sasuke hopped off the seat._

 _Mikoto nodded. "Itachi, we'll be right back." She held Sasuke's hand in hers and wandered off to find a restroom. Itachi wished there was someone who they could ask where the restrooms were. It made absolutely no sense that no one was in sight._

 _Naruto, now without his friend, immediately got bored and started running around the hall. A tired expression was painting Kushina's face. "Believe it or not, I sometimes want to take a break from being his mother."_

 _Itachi didn't really understand what she was talking about. He guessed living with Naruto could be tiring. Now that the seat between them was empty, he scooted closer to Kushina. "He's very cheerful."_

" _Tell me about it," Kushina chuckled, a happy sound filling the room. It abruptly changed to a man yelling._

" _What—" Kushina bolted from her seat. Naruto had opened one of the doors, the one that led to the meeting room. "Naruto. Come here right now!"_

 _Naruto looked like he was on the verge of crying._

 _A gunshot was heard._

 _Itachi bit his tongue without even knowing, only realizing it once he got the irony taste of blood. The feeling was worse than ever, and how Kushina was rushing them to a closed door wasn't helping. At all._

" _Mother!" Itachi tried to get rid of Kushina's tight grip on his wrist to no avail. The yelling man had stopped, now another was doing it and Itachi was almost sure the voice belonged to his father. Kushina practically pushed them in another meeting room with_ _a U-shaped_ _table, then closed the door quietly and urged them to kneel and crawl under the table._

 _It was only when Naruto started sobbing in fear Itachi realized his cheeks were wet with tears as well. Kushina's face was extremely pale, she was trying to hug both kids and dialing a number on her cell phone with shaky fingers at the same time._

" _Sasuke." Itachi sobbed. A hand closed on his mouth; Kushina's glossy eyes were almost begging him to keep quiet. Naruto's face was buried in Kushina's chest. His chest felt tight, the floor seemed to sway under them. All he could think was his family and what was happening to them. He heard Kushina talk to the phone, her voice sounded muffled and far away._

 _He wanted to fall asleep. He wanted to wake up and see this was a dream._

 _Minato's voice was heard. Naruto got away from Kushina's hug and ran faster than Itachi had ever seen him run. Before Kushina realized the boy was gone and threw the phone aside to catch him, Naruto opened the door with the speed of lightning. Itachi crawled out to see what Naruto was doing, but the instant he did it, he immediately regretted, because what he'd never wanted to witness was Minato falling to the ground with a loud thud, blood oozing from a spot connected with the floor._

 _He shrieked into his palm. Only their backs could be seen from this angle, but she and Naruto, they both froze on the spot. He heard Naruto scream at the top of his lungs._

 _Itachi puked._

XxX

Sasuke just stood like that for a good five minutes, mirroring a person scrutinizing the floorboards. In truth, he just felt like he would either vomit or pass out if he looked at anything else. His brother didn't say an encouraging word to him to do anything at all. Sasuke was sure Itachi wasn't in a better state even without seeing him.

When he felt his breathing go out of order, he propped his elbows on his knees and put his chin on top of his clenched fists. He gathered a handful of courage to speak, although his voice was nothing like his ordinary speaking voice. "Continue."

Itachi's feet moved on the hardwood floor. "My memory doesn't reach beyond this point. They said I passed out after that."

"But what happened?"

A loud, tired and definitely suffering sigh was heard, resonating in Sasuke's ears and opening a new wound in his heart. "Kushina was quick to make the call and right after Minato was shot, FBI broke in."

"Jesus Christ," Sasuke coughed, half afraid he actually would throw up this time, but it was just dry heaving.

"We should head downstairs. The air in here is making you worse," Itachi suggested. As much as he wanted to hear the rest without moving from his spot, Sasuke had to agree. "Slowly. Take it easy."

He saw Itachi supporting himself with the arm of his chair as he got on his feet, but Itachi reached out and held his hands instead of leaving him to do it on his own.

Sasuke was lightheaded, and the first attempt to take a step ended with him tripping and Itachi catching him before he kissed the ground. Honestly, if he did fall, he probably wouldn't move an inch and opt to sleep there.

Descending down the stairs was tough. He had to clutch the wood and take a deep breath every step. He inwardly cursed the people who built it for making the fucking thing so steep.

When they finally made it to the living room, Sasuke let himself fall on the couch. Some time later, he felt Itachi calling to him. He didn't know when he'd closed his eyes. There was a glass of water in front of him. He drank some without questioning.

"I should have told you that in pieces," Itachi mused with a cracking voice. Sasuke realized he was sitting right next to the couch, on the floor with his legs crossed. Sasuke's hand was in Itachi's.

"I'm fine," he repeated. Something told him it was a pointless lie.

Itachi's hand muscles tensed with anxiety. "Might as well finish what I've started," he murmured. "You were found in one of the toilet stalls. You missed death just by mere seconds. Mother… wasn't that lucky."

Sasuke glanced at him to see why he stopped, but Itachi's face was facing the couch pillow. Then, he heard a heart-wrenching sob.

A hand started caressing Itachi's hair without even realizing. Sasuke didn't remember any of this and wasn't traumatized, just because he had to pee that moment, but witnessing them must have been a terrifying experience. From what he understood, even at the age of 10 Itachi was a mature and clever kid, but in the end, he still was just a kid. So was Naruto.

And his father had been shot right before his eyes. He moaned at the disgruntling feelings that pooled in his body.

"Then," Itachi sniveled. His eyes were bloodshot when he gazed into Sasuke's eyes. "We were all in a hospital when I woke up. Naruto was in intensive care. Not that he was injured, but it was too shocking for a 4-year-old kid, apparently."

"Wait. I was there too?"

"Yes. Not in the same room with me and Kushina, though." Itachi put his other hand on Sasuke's too, trapping the pale hand between his. "There was a psychiatrist. I don't remember who he was accurately, or what he told me. The details are blurred. I was in shock too, he said. You were the only one who didn't see the events."

Sasuke knitted his brows. The puzzle pieces were starting to come together. "And?"

Itachi rested his forehead against the palm of Sasuke's shaking hand. "We both needed a foster family. But while Naruto and I were in need of help, you hadn't seen anything, and weren't exactly traumatized."

Sasuke swallowed hard. " _How dare they_?" His voice was barely a whisper. It gradually got louder. "How can they separate brothers? Why did Kushina let them?!"

"She thought it was the best way for you to grow up normally," Itachi answered. "And…"

"What?"

"…I agreed."

Sasuke shivered as if a bucket of icy water had been emptied on his body. "YOU WHAT?"

"It was so hard for me to decide, Sasuke. I swear I tried to make it right for you. I have no idea why they asked me or if they would consider my thoughts if I said no, but I said yes."

His tears finally overflowed from his eyes. "Why?" He fingered his hair aggressively. "Why did you say yes?"

Itachi raised himself and sat on the empty space next to Sasuke, rapidly wrapped his arms around his little brother and held him tight.

Sasuke cried. All of this was new, and before he could digest the information of how his parents had been killed, his brother told him he'd agreed to give him away.

He was furious, sad, angry, upset… and so, so fucking confused. More than ever.

But instead of pushing Itachi, he hugged back and practically squeezed the man's life out of him. His sobs had turned hysterical. For an indefinite amount of time, he let his tears flow out and tried to diminish the fire inside even if just a little bit. He needed that so bad. "It was all that Madara's fault, wasn't it? I'll find that fucker and slit his throat with my bare hands, I swear to God—"

"Don't worry. That's already been taken care of," Itachi hushed him. "He apparently didn't care about dying since he hadn't made an escape plan."

"Don't tell me he'd killed all the workers in the building too?"

"No. They were captured in one of the rooms upstairs," Itachi whispered to his chest. Sasuke's hand gripped Itachi's shoulder to comfort him. "These are top secret information."

"Then how do you know?"

"There was a reason why I chose to be a mayor," he lifted his head to look directly into Sasuke's red and puffy eyes. "After all that shit, I bet you wouldn't assume I was willing to take over this job?"

"You wanted to know why he did it," Sasuke stated.

"Yes. What I came up with wasn't very pleasing. Madara wasn't a lunatic, Sasuke. I personally hate him still, but if I have to be objective, he had his reasons."

"What could possibly excuse killing three people, traumatizing two children and separating one from his family?" Sasuke deadpanned.

"Nothing. It was just… I won't tell this to you in detail, just because there's no need for you to know, but our father wasn't the innocent man I had thought him to be. He'd hurt Madara in many ways. I stopped seeking revenge when I grasped the depth of how dirty the world of adults was. And believe me when I say this: Feuds are never about hate, Sasuke. Feuds are about pain. We're the last Uchihas now that they all killed each other in the name of revenge. I won't let anything happen to you."

Sasuke couldn't find the strength to ask more. His eyes were starting to close on their own account. He licked his lips. "I don't hate you, Itachi. I'm mad, but I don't hate you." He didn't have a reason to, really. Itachi was probably blaming himself for all those years, but even with his clouded judgment right now, Sasuke knew Itachi had no fault in all this.

A sorrowful, but loving expression crossed Itachi's face. He kissed the back of Sasuke's hand, then pecked his forehead lightly. "I prayed that you wouldn't. Every night for the past 19 years."

Sasuke felt a last tear fall down his cheek, but it was wiped away with a thumb. He felt the warmth of the throw blanket covering his body.

"You should take a nap," Itachi mumbled. Sasuke felt the weight lift from the pillow he was lying on.

He was sure as hell he would not have nice dreams if he had at all.


	9. Icarus

When Sasuke stirred on the couch and slowly resurfaced to consciousness, his whole body felt like it was hit by a freight train. He strived to sit up – which ended up being a terrible decision since a headache he hadn't realized was there kicked in as result. Literally. He felt like a bunch of grade school students were thrashing his brain.

"God dammit," he hissed and started rubbing at his temples. The lights were out and no beams seeped in through the blinds, meaning it was still night. Some hushed words reached his ear. He opened his eyes, there was someone in the kitchen. Or two, if Itachi wasn't talking to himself.

He took it easy as he slowly sat up, then rested his hands on the back of the couch for support while he got on his feet. At least he didn't feel sick to his stomach anymore. Throwing up on the couch wouldn't be nice, for sure.

His bare feet dragged on the carpeted floor, his hands were holding on to different objects as he made his way to the kitchen door. The instant he pushed the door open, the light blinded him and doubled his headache.

Thankfully Itachi was once more there to catch him before his knees weakened and he fell on his face. He put his arm around his brother's shoulder and covered his eyes with the other, and they walked to a chair.

"A-are you okay?"

Sasuke recognized Naruto's voice. " _Do I look okay_?"

"Let me get you a painkiller," he heard footsteps, then the door opening and shutting.

"What is he doing here?" He snapped with a not exactly quiet voice.

"He brought the container back."

"Tell him to leave."

"Sasuke," Itachi pulled a chair and sat down in front him. "Naruto is your friend."

"No shit," he snubbed. "I can't deal with him right now."

"Look, he's only trying to help." Itachi sighed tiredly. "Give him a chance to make you feel better."

"That was long ago. There's no guarantee he won't make things even worse now. He's annoying." In his mind, he knew Itachi thought of the two as 'strangely fitting'. The way he'd spoken as he told him about their kid-selves proved that, but right now, he just wanted to curl up in a corner and sleep for eternity.

"If you trust me just a little bit, let him stay. Even if it's just for a short while."

He didn't know if he was just desperate for Itachi to shut up or wanted to see the results, he nodded indistinctly. He could swear he heard gears move in his head when he did that, like a broken toy.

"Here!" Naruto burst in with that obnoxiously loud voice of his.

"I already regret it," he sighed. A moment later, a hand pushed a pill inside his own hand and a glass of water in other. Without a word, he downed the pill and joined his hand together on the table, resting his forehead on top of them.

"Naruto. I trust you to take care of him," Itachi said.

"Of course! Anything for Sasuke," he laughed.

"Well then. Goodnight boys."

When Itachi left like that, Sasuke couldn't help but bite on his lip. An irrational fear of being away from him might have started to form, which was absolute bullshit. His mind kept wandering to the events of that night, how Itachi had felt, how Naruto had felt – or was still feeling right now. Then, here Naruto was, standing right before him and probably still grinning like an idiot while he shook with so many mixed emotions.

"Sooo," Naruto drawled. His voice didn't sound like he was grinning. "Itachi skimmed what happened to me. I only knew bits and pieces, but I remember the most… important parts." He cleared his throat, then took a seat on the chair Itachi had left empty. "Finding out about all of these at the same time, and just when you're getting used to a new family and place. I respect you so fucking much, Sasuke Uchiha."

"Shut up," he groaned. "Don't talk about that. I don't want to hear anything associated with that day for a long time."

"But it's still there, isn't it? It never really leaves you alone. Like a ghost, haunting you when you're on your own. No wonder I sleep here often. I need someone to be close to me, like, I'm dependent. Funny thing, really," he forced out a laugh. "Since the day my father died because of a family feud he wasn't even a part of, I couldn't put my life back on track."

Sasuke, although he didn't want to at the moment, related to that. And empathized. Naruto was a mutual with many things in common.

"I looked up that Madara person, y'know. Ended up finding nothing. 50-year rule and top secret files. I wasn't expecting to, really. But I thought it was worth a shot."

"Naruto."

As usual, the blond ignored him. "Itachi won't tell me. Did he tell you? No, nevermind. I'm a history teacher. I should know that knowledge could be a dangerous thing better than anyone."

"Change the subject or I'll break this glass on your dumb head."

"Fine, fine," Naruto said with an offended tone. "Hmm. You need to relax. To find comfort. I can offer you something."

"Is this one of your pick-up lines?" Sasuke asked throatily.

"Ha! As if," Naruto laughed silently. "Get your head up. I'm good at giving massages."

"You better be right." With a moan, he lifted his head up and opened his eyes slowly. Naruto was casting him a curious glance. "Do you need an invitation?" He rubbed his watering eyes. The light really wasn't helping.

"Shh. Stop being so aggressive," Naruto shook his head and got up, getting in position behind Sasuke. Two warm hands found their places on Sasuke's temples, and with circular motions, started to rub. "Feel good?"

"Hn," Sasuke groaned. "Apply more pressure."

"Got it." Naruto's fingers were moving while his thumbs found a spot behind Sasuke's ears, and almost instantly, the ache started to ease. He kept doing it for a couple more minutes before moving to his shoulders and working on the tense muscles.

"Where did you learn this?" He asked, his voice sounding a bit better than a minute ago.

"It's a natural talent that came with my awesomeness," he laughed heartily. "I guess I'm just good at physical stuff."

Sasuke nodded. Naruto urged him to move forward a bit so he could massage his back too. The way his fingers moved and rubbed, occasionally finding a spot that took most of the pain away relaxed Sasuke. "Thanks," he muttered.

"No problem." Naruto grinned and sat back down. A leg started to push the table's leg and rocking his chair.

"Stop doing that."

"Sorry. Nervous habit," he scratched his cheek. "What do we do now?"

"I don't know about you, but all I want to do it to sleep," Sasuke said, and sighed. It was a long and exhausting day, he was drained, and his nap apparently wasn't enough.

"C'mon then. I'll take you to bed."

"I'm upset, not crippled," Sasuke retorted, standing up and holding the chair for support.

"You're not fully well either. Let me help." Without waiting for an answer, he put Sasuke's arm around his shoulder and snaked his own around his chest. Sasuke groaned and tried to retreat his hand but he really wasn't feeling good.

They walked out of the kitchen after Naruto turned the light switch off, and slowly started to climb the stairs. Sasuke hummed in thought. "I wish we could use the stairs once without one of us in need of help."

Naruto nodded in the dark. Sasuke could only see the movement of his silhouette. "I don't mind helping you. Sorry I was a bother the day when I sprained my ankle."

Sasuke bit his lip and took another step. "Idiot. Stop saying sorry. What happened to that shameless side of yours?"

"It's just," he mumbled. "I don't feel that happy when I see you like this."

Sasuke's mind wandered to that time when he'd cried in the car and how Naruto had said he was a really strong person. He had a feeling Naruto thought of him as an impenetrable person with a heart made of steel, but in truth, he was hurting as much as Naruto did. But he still didn't want to see Naruto like this. Maybe he could try to hide his pain behind a mask until the blond was away. He knew Naruto was suffering from a lot of things as well, there was no point in making him feel even more guilty.

Naruto opened the door for him and they walked in. Sasuke unwrapped his arm around Naruto and walked to his bed, crawling in without changing. Naruto looked lost, looking around the room to decide if he should stay or leave, but eventually grabbed the white earphones on Sasuke's desk and got in the bed next to his friend. "Listening to music will help you feel better," he commented.

"Are you sure it's not gonna make my headache worse?"

"Nah. It's just some music," he said, turned on the bedside lamp, got under the covers and shoved one end into Sasuke's ear, the other into his own. Humming an unfamiliar tune, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and plugged the earphones, then chose a song and turned the screen off. The volume wasn't too loud, and the song was a soft tune, blending with the atmosphere around them which contained Naruto's body warmth, the cold sheets against his skin and the faint smell of washing powder. The dim light radiating from the lamp was casting faint shadows on the walls.

"Mm. This song is good," he purred, stirring in bed to face Naruto.

"They're called Daughter. Ever heard of 'em?" Naruto asked softly.

"I think I know one of their songs. You seem to listen to indie a lot."

"Yeah, definitely. But I like classic too. Anything works for me, really. It's just nice to listen to something when silence is eatin' you alive."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"When you spend so many sleepless nights like me, you start to look for various hobbies. Dozing off is not always an option, not if I know I'll wake up from a nightmare in the end. You're lucky that you didn't have to witness anything or grow up knowing things, Sasuke."

"Are you trying to justify Itachi's decision?" He hissed, pulling the earphone off and glaring at Naruto. "Maybe I should just go to sleep if you'll keep giving me that crap."

Naruto sighed and the corners of his lips curled down. He put the phone on the bedside table and scooted a bit closer to Sasuke. "No. I'm not trying to justify anything. If anyone, that's his job. I just want you to feel better." His fingers were clutching the bedsheets.

Sasuke looked into his midnight blue eyes. "Well, you're not helping."

"Come here," he said. "We're gonna do the thing we did yesterday. Only with our positions reversed."

"Naruto. You know how it ended. And you're the one who said you can't risk ruining our friendship."

"Stop being a baby and come here," he plunged forward and pulled Sasuke to his chest without giving him a chance to fight back.

"What are you doing, you loser," he tried shoving Naruto's chest, but the arms were holding him too tight. In the end, he got tired of trying to fight the blond and gave up, his body begging him to get more sleep. Naruto felt really warm, and he smelled like… something Sasuke couldn't name, but it was a nice scent. Like flowers and oranges, but it had a manly undertone in it. He positioned the rest of his body to get comfortable, but Naruto had his head in a headlock so it took some effort to manage that. When he was done, he wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist and Naruto finally let go of his head, which fell from the height of his shoulder and rested right above Naruto's heart.

It had a steady rhythm. Sasuke briefly wondered if that was what Naruto had felt when he'd done the same last night. It felt comforting, _almost_ letting him forget about the terrible day he'd had. Then, like on command, Naruto began to massage his head, this time doing it on his scalp. He was occasionally running a hand through Sasuke's hair and sighing.

"You're hair's always stickin' up. What product do you use?"

"Nothing. It's natural. You've seen my childhood photographs." He sucked his bottom lip in and sighed. "Weirdo. You scold me for touching you, then you touch me without my permission. What is wrong with you?" His voice sounded much tender than he'd intended to.

"Hah. Says who," Naruto scoffed lightly. "You give me mixed signals all the time. Have some mercy."

Sasuke tried raising an eyebrow, but his face muscles hurt. And he was too lazy to do that right now. Too relaxed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I know," Naruto whispered, closing a hand on Sasuke's eyes. "Just go to sleeeep."

He breathed out contentedly. "Are you gonna leave?"

Naruto's hand halted for a moment. "Yeah. I have to."

"Right. You have work," he nodded into Naruto's chest.

"It's spring break. I just…" He fidgeted, disturbing Sasuke. The raven pinched his arm to punish him. "Bastard. Now I have no doubts. I'll leave once you're sound asleep."

"All those complaints about being alone at night, and you won't stay," he whispered. He was slowly losing conscience. After all, Itachi had proven himself right. Naruto really was helping, although he wouldn't admit it out loud. The blond already had an unbalanced ego that sometimes tended to show and sometimes hid somewhere.

Sasuke wasn't gonna praise his ridiculously good comforting talent.

XxX

It was still somewhat dark when Sasuke opened his eyes, expecting to find himself alone in his bed, but the weird thing was, he hadn't moved an inch and Naruto was still hugging him to his chest. His breathing was shallow and even, indicating he was fast asleep. At least he had turned the lamp off. Trying to escape from the tight grip was a total bust, which made Sasuke groan silently and he used force to unwrap the strong arms around him. It was surprising how Naruto was still so protective even in his sleep. Well, at least he knew how to hold someone. How he started to snore didn't really assure Sasuke that if something had happened, the blond would be awake to help.

His phone was still downstairs, so he crawled on the bed without touching Naruto and checked the time on the other man's phone. His eyes hurt from the screen, but he did see it read 4 p.m. before he turned the phone's screen down and returned to his spot.

 _This is pretty gay,_ he thought _._ He couldn't remember a saying that told two grown men, even if childhood friends could sleep in the same bed together, limbs tangled and all that huggy things. He didn't mind it, though. He was content to do this, and Naruto seemed pleased too. What others thought or the general norms didn't matter, especially when the two had a relationship this unusual.

Naruto sighed in his sleep, then stirred a bit, his face right in front of Sasuke's now. He had a serene expression on his features, the tips of his blond lashes touching his cheeks. The blue of his eyes was nowhere to be seen. Sasuke realized he liked how the shade would change along with Naruto's mood. It seemed like a unique quality.

Before today, he'd never really thought much about Itachi's revelation of their friendship. Pictures proved it, and he had a feeling he was not exaggerating when his brother had said they were each other's best friend, but now with the new information of just how close they were that Itachi had provided him with a story, he couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he'd lived here all his life. They were opposite sides of a magnet, and maybe that was what brought them together in the first place. Sasuke could guess even when he was a baby in a crib he wouldn't play with someone he didn't like. But he knew he liked Naruto. And it wasn't just about how friendly the idiot was to everybody.

He recalled how angry Naruto had looked when Sasuke had called him 'idiot'. Now, Sasuke wasn't a fan of wishful thinking, but he tended to overthink the details and he couldn't help but wonder if Naruto had somehow remembered how he would call him 'idiot' when they were kids and reacted strongly to it. It was just a fleeting thought and it wasn't logical, but nothing about their relationship was logical.

He tiredly scrubbed his hands over his face. His system felt overloaded and the only thing that helped him feel better was Naruto, and right now, he was sleeping, unaware of things going through Sasuke's mind. A pale hand reached to grab the tan one, interlocking their fingers like he'd done it a thousand times before. The scene when they'd held hands in the hotel lobby was haunting him. Naruto's hand felt warm in his. It felt right to do it, just like any other thing about Naruto. He breathed out, a small smile tugging his lips upward without a certain reason. Despite everything, he was glad to have met Naruto… again.

The question bugging him now was Naruto had said he was gonna leave, but now that he was asleep, Sasuke wasn't sure if he was supposed to wake him up or leave him be. He personally had no problem with him sleeping here. If anything, he worked fine as a heater, but Naruto seemed to have some problems with too much proximity after the kiss. He was fine with forcefully pulling Sasuke to his chest and petting his hair until he fell asleep, but he didn't want to sleep here? He was in contradiction, or maybe he was simply trying to hold back from something.

He did it without thinking when a strand of blond hair fell on the tanned face and he pushed it back, tugging it behind Naruto's ear. The gesture felt really intimate but natural; like they were doing these kinds of things all the time. He had to admit, he'd gone far more with Naruto about physical contact than he had gone with anybody else. But he'd done it because it felt right. Because it felt good.

"Naruto," he whispered. He still wasn't certain if he wanted him to wake up or keep sleeping. The idea of Naruto waking up with an awful nightmare, crying his eyes out as he sobbed enough to wake up the entire household caused his stomach to clench painfully.

He didn't want Naruto to feel hurt. But they both did, and he could empathize, and the pain surely was a bond between them.

He wanted to keep Naruto from all the bad dreams. The waves of protectiveness surged in him. He checked Naruto's breathing to make sure he was still asleep and touched Naruto's forehead with a very light press of his lips.

He told himself that he only did it because he wondered how it would feel.

"Naruto," he raised his voice this time, earning himself a moan and a rub of eyes.

"Sasuke," Naruto yawned. "What—"

"You fell asleep. In my bed."

Naruto opened his eyes, almost showing off with how clear the color was now. It reminded Sasuke of the color of a sky full of stars. "…Oh."

"Don't get me wrong, I only wanted to make sure you won't get upset about it."

Naruto hesitated for a frozen moment before he shook his head. His bed hair spread a smirk on Sasuke's lips. "Umm. Sasuke?"

"Hn."

"Why are you holding my hand?"

The smirk left its place to a weird frown. Why was his brain failing him constantly when he was around Naruto? "Must've happened while I was asleep."

"Yeah," Naruto nodded, but he didn't pull his hand off Sasuke's. He stared at them for almost a minute. Sasuke raised an intrigued eyebrow.

Awkwardly, he cleared his throat. "You can sleep now."

Naruto hummed in approval before bringing Sasuke's hand to his lips and kissing the back of it.

"What the hell?" Sasuke hissed like he wasn't the one who'd kissed Naruto's forehead five minutes ago.

"At least you're in a better mood now," Naruto grinned happily. "Just so you know, these moves are very gay."

"I'm aware," he muttered. "Roll over to your side before you have your wicked way with me you damn walking tube of hormones, or I'll call Itachi."

"How do you even come up with this stuff when you've just woken up?" Naruto mumbled. His hand pulled away, leaving Sasuke's cold and lonely. His body followed.

A silent minute passed. Sasuke listened to their breathing sounds and rubbed his slightly chapped lips together, pulling the covers to his chin. "Thank you," he said. "For being here."

It was unfortunate that Naruto was already snoring.

XxX

"What do you wanna do today?" Naruto asked with a happy expression and stuffed another spoonful of Froot Loops into his mouth.

"I don't know," Sasuke stirred the soggy, plain cereals in his own bowl. "Don't you have plans?"

"Not really," he shrugged. "I have the whole week to myself starting from today and I wanna spend at least some of it with you," he swallowed and took a sip from his sugared coffee. Sasuke looked at his tea, then back at Naruto. "We can visit Minneapolis. Or just wander around town. I think I will throw a party tonight. Most of my friends are from school as well, so no one has to care about a hangover. It'll be fun."

"Good for you."

"You're coming, right?"

"Um, no?" Sasuke arched a brow and took a sip of his tea. "I'm not exactly a party animal if you can't tell. And I'm not in the best mood if you haven't noticed."

Naruto rolled his eyes and combed his unkempt hair with his fingers. "You'll feel better once you're interacting with more people. You like Hinata. She'll be there. Of course, Sai too. You two can talk about art."

" _God forbid_ ," Sasuke mumbled. "I suppose it won't hurt to join for a while. Just to see how it will go." It was worrying how easily Naruto could convince Sasuke.

"Great!" Naruto grinned toothily. He stood up, pushing his chair back in the process, and put his bowl in the sink, downing the rest of his coffee while doing it. Sasuke wasn't really hungry, so after another bite, he dumped the rest of his cereal in the disposal.

The loud echo of the doorbell was heard around the house. Two men looked at each other, both puzzled. "Were you expecting anyone?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know anyone in town, remember?" Sasuke reminded.

"I'll see who it is. Maybe it's a friend of Itachi's," he pushed the kitchen door and disappeared. Sasuke didn't take long to follow him.

Naruto opened the door, and the second he did it, a loud yell of a woman was heard. "You brat. Where the hell have you been?" Tsunade was so busy trying to strangle Naruto that she couldn't say hi to Sasuke, who was standing there, watching them with a lop-sided smirk. This woman really knew how to deal with Naruto.

"Tsunade, you're gonna kill the boy." Sasuke shifted his glance to the elder man who'd just appeared behind Tsunade. He had long, white hair, with an amused grin on his face. He adjusted his dark red vest and gave Naruto a hug when Tsunade finally let go of him. "Long time, no see. How's it goin'?"

"Gramps," Naruto hugged back. "Good. What's up?"

"Just wanted to check on you. Tsunade was worried you might have a drinking problem again. No biggie," he grinned again, looking much younger as he did, and ruffled Naruto's hair.

"So? Have you been drinking?" Tsunade poked Naruto's shoulder a couple of times in a row. Naruto groaned in frustration and rubbed the area with the heel of his hand.

"No. I haven't been drinking more that I should. Stop trying to bruise me!"

Tsunade narrowed his eyes skeptically to understand if Naruto was lying, and when she grinned later, Sasuke couldn't help but smirk at the heart-warming scene. He'd never had an aunt or grandfather, but he was happy that Naruto had.

"Uchiha," Tsunade walked to him and arched a brow, her folded arms making her breasts look even bigger than they already were. She eyed him from head to toe sharply. "You look sick."

Sasuke looked at Naruto before clearing his throat and drawing his gaze back to Tsunade. "I'm fine."

"Mhm." Tsunade nodded. "Naruto. Take care of your friend."

"But I am!" Naruto protested. Jiraiya, who was still watching the trio silently from the threshold, slowly made his way to them. His face was clear of any sign of amusement.

"You're… Sasuke, aren't you?" He emphasized the name like he wanted to make sure he got it right.

Sasuke fidgeted uncomfortably. "Yes."

"You've grown up so much," he nodded to himself. "I haven't seen you for years, since—" He stopped talking.

"He knows, gramps," Naruto interrupted, letting out a tired sigh.

"Oh. Alright," Jiraiya mumbled under his breath. Tsunade nudged him with her elbow, which earned her a glare, but the man smiled afterward. "It's good to see you."

Sasuke couldn't say the same since he didn't remember Jiraiya at all, so he just nodded and started chewing on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully.

"If everything's fine, we're leaving." Tsunade cheerily announced.

"Where are you goin'?" Naruto asked with a broad smile.

"St. Paul," she answered.

A nasty grimaced appeared on Naruto's face, disappearing in a second. "Heh. Have fun."

"Take care, kiddos."

Jiraiya waved goodbye before they let themselves out and left Sasuke and Naruto staring at the door. Sasuke shifted his weight to his other leg and waited for Naruto to say something.

"That was unexpected," he finally commented. He took his time to turn around and face Sasuke. "So," he smiled. "You wanna watch a movie?"

"Please don't make us watch Inception," Sasuke fingered his bangs to the side.

"You were fine with the idea last time," Naruto huffed. "Fine. Do you like Audrey Hepburn?"

"Why?"

"I'm a huge fan. Thought we could watch _How to Steal a Million_."

Sasuke shrugged. "Sounds good to me. I have to clean the house later though."

"S'fine, I gotta go and prepare my place for the party anyway," Naruto said with a sly smirk. "I'll make us some tea. You put the movie on. It's in the bottom row of the bookcase."

Sasuke nodded and went to set the TV on. After that, he kneeled and found the movie they were gonna watch. Itachi had lots of Audrey Hepburn movies, or maybe Naruto owned them and they were here just because they watched together. Sasuke could easily see Itachi liking them.

He waited for a couple of minutes for Naruto to return, checking his phone while he did that. It reminded him of the first time he'd arrived here. Although it wasn't a long time ago, he still felt like it had already been months. The wifi password made sense now that he knew his parents' names. He didn't have to ask Itachi about it. Fumisait410 stood for Fugaku, Mikoto, Sasuke, Itachi and the numbers represented their ages when they'd been separated.

He couldn't help but smile. Itachi truly was an emotional guy.

"Hey. Sorry it took so long. I washed the dishes too. Why are you smiling?" Naruto put both mugs on the coffee table and started the movie with the remote.

"No reason. So what's your relation with Tsunade and Jiraiya? You said they weren't blood-related with each other."

"Yeah. Tsunade is my mother's aunt and Jiraiya is my real grandad. My father's father," he explained as he set his feet on the empty side of the table. "They both took care of me after Mom passed away. I honestly couldn't repay them ever. Aunt Tsunade tends to get overprotective sometimes, but I don't really mind."

"Hn. What about when Jiraiya said he hasn't seen me for ages?"

"Oh. He probably saw us together many times. We were inseparable, remember?" He grinned. "Don't worry. I don't remember much either. Although I sometimes wonder how one can forget their best friend so easily. But we've both been going through different things. It does make sense," he slurred the last part. Sasuke's gaze parted from the screen when he felt a warm hand cupping his. Naruto was looking at him with his cerulean eyes sparkling and his cheeks a bright red.

"…What?" Sasuke raised his brows in confusion.

"I'm just grateful to have you here, is all," Naruto confessed. "You make me feel happy. Happier than I've been for a really long while."

Sasuke felt his face go hot. Luckily, Naruto drew his hand and started watching the movie without waiting for an answer. Sasuke blinked, then shook his head and reached for his mug.

xXx

"Man, that's what I call a good movie," Naruto connected his hands on the nape of his neck and stretched his muscles. "She's amazing. The most beautiful women I've ever seen."

"You seem to like her a lot," Sasuke commented, a small smirk on his lips from seeing Naruto so mesmerized.

"Duh. She's like, gaah!" He threw his hands in the air dramatically. "Her beauty blinds me."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Naruto looked almost too captured by her. He had told Sasuke he was gay, so that didn't really match the image of 'gay' in his mind. He decided to pour his thoughts into words. "Naruto."

"Hm?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but aren't you supposed to not like women?"

"That's not how it works," Naruto smiled. He didn't look offended; maybe because he'd already understood how hard it is for Sasuke to wrap his mind around these. "I like women. I'm just not sexually attracted. There's nothing wrong with admiring the beauty of the female form."

Sasuke nodded slowly, fixing his gaze on his loosely fisted hands. "When did you figure out?"

"That I'm gay?"

"Hn."

He drew in a deep breath. "First year of high school. I can share the full story if you wanna hear."

"Yes. I'd like to hear that." He leaned back, making himself comfortable, and tilted his head to left a bit to see Naruto's face.

"You know how it's always advertised on TV and everywhere, males like females, and I always thought… that's how it was supposed to go. I had a crush on Sakura in 3rd grade," he sheepishly grinned. "But she liked someone else, who wasn't Kiba by the way. In retrospect, I think I was just amazed by her beauty. I didn't suspect anything until in middle school, I entered puberty and the very vivid dream I had was about …a boy in my class."

"That must've been confusing," Sasuke said.

"Yeah. Tell me about it. I freaked out, and… Mom was already gone. I thought aunt Tsunade would punish me or something. Grandad was nice, but I was a coward back then. Thought if I kept it a secret, it would pass and I would start liking girls again. Then, high school came, and there was a girl in my class who had a huge crush on me. They moved to New York after our second year, but that's not the point." He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I liked to masturbate, which is very natural, but I would find myself thinking about hot Holywood actors or something. So when she came into my life, I started to have a feeling if I dated her, I would be fixed. I asked her out, she said yes, blah blah. Then we were in my room, kissing and touching each other, but I didn't feel aroused at all. That's when it hit me that this wasn't something that needed to be fixed. It's a part of me."

"What about her?"

"Well," he cupped his cheeks with his hands. "I had to explain it to her. She was heartbroken and very angry, but after a while, she accepted it I guess. Never talked to her about this again, so I'm not sure."

Sasuke hummed. "How did you explain it to Jiraiya and Tsunade?"

"I didn't. Grandad found out himself. I assume it's not really difficult to when your teenage grandson isn't trying to get a girlfriend, get laid or steal your porn magazines."

"I see. Thanks for sharing," Sasuke exclaimed. "I'm just trying to understand."

"I know. I don't mind," Naruto retreated his hands from his cheeks. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the time. "I should get goin'."

"Alright." Sasuke stood up to let Naruto out. They walked together to the door.

"See you tonight?"

Sasuke nodded and waited for Naruto to walk away before he closed the door. He didn't know where the vacuum cleaner was, so starting from the bathroom, he looked at every single door. The result was upsetting. With a loud sigh, he decided to check the garage too. If it wasn't there, he would call Itachi and ask.

He once had briefly wondered why Itachi wasn't parking his car in the garage, but when he once entered the place, the question answered itself. Itachi apparently really didn't have time to do any cleaning. There was an old car and the rest were just stuff. He skimmed the place and once he spotted the red vacuum cleaner, grabbed it and left. Vacuuming was fine, but he didn't feel well enough to clean an entire garage right now.

First, he thoroughly did the living room, then the kitchen and the hall. He still had a lot of time to kill, so without even considering he walked upstairs and started vacuuming from his own room, then Itachi's, and at last, the guest room. He unplugged it from the outlet in his room and plugged it back in the outlet in the guest room. When he turned around to start the machine, he realized he'd never been here before. The room was almost as big as his, but it only had a bed and a dresser. If Naruto was using this room just for sleep, that was probably why. His eyes wandered around the room for a bit longer, studying if there was anything different. The t-shirt and sweats Naruto had borrowed were folded on top of the dresser. He slowly walked to the bed with orange sheets and sat down on the edge. It felt comfortable.

Closing his eyes, he lay down and connected his hands above his head. The linens smelled like Naruto. In fact, the whole room smelled like him. Sasuke groaned in puzzlement when he realized he was rolling to smell it better. The smell was doing a fantastic job at comforting him.

He didn't know what he was feeling about Naruto. He didn't know if he was meant to feel this way, but whatever it was, it scared Sasuke a little bit. Usually, he was good at pondering and coming to a conclusion, but this one didn't seem easy to solve.

After he finally cleaned the room, he took the vacuum cleaner back to the garage and returned to his room. A shower would be nice now, so he quickly stripped out of his clothes and stood under the water for a couple of minutes before toweling off and pulling on a pair of navy blue jeans and a dark gray sweater. Around his neck, there was a small towel that prevented his hair from wetting his clothes. He looked out the window, watching Naruto's house as he squeezed out the extra water in his hair with the towel, wondering how tonight would go.

Thinking of Naruto, he realized he should look up the internet for how to treat a gay friend to clear any confusions in his head. Without bothering with his laptop, he pushed the power button of the desktop computer and waited for it to boot while he made himself comfortable on the office chair. Fingers made tapping sounds on the table, and when it was booted, he quickly opened Google Chrome and…

What was he supposed to google?

His slim fingers brushed the keyboard and he finally decided to type 'how to treat your gay friend'. The first result was a Christian site. He clicked on the second. He didn't need a preach about how gay people were corrupted, and although he did believe in God, this wasn't up to him to decide. He just wanted to clear his head and find a way to deal with the situation.

He read everything written. None of the information was useful. People apparently had trouble with their friends coming out to them, not with how intimate they were supposed to be. He clicked on another. The same.

Did no one ever encounter this problem before?

He slammed his head on the keyboard, all his hopes to solve this quickly completely vaporized. But giving up was out of the question. Naruto was his friend, and probably the first friend he got along so well, and he was gonna find a way to do this.

He lifted his head to delete the words. However, the suggestions were a bit different now. The touch of his head to the keyboard must have added new letters.

"How to get your gay friend to like you," he read it out loud. "Why do people even search these things?"

He pushed enter and scrolled down the page, looking for more useful information. '20 Signs You're Basically In Love With Your Best Friend' piqued his interest, and just to quench his curiosity, he opened it.

 _You've met someone new. You click instantly. You start spending most of your time together and form a friendship like you've never had before._

Utterly horrified, he closed the page and pushed himself away from the desk. The first three sentences were exactly what he was experiencing with Naruto and he just didn't feel brave enough to read the rest. It was probably a click bait anyway. It was unthinkable to think he was in love with Naruto.

If no information could be learned from Google, he decided to at least get an idea about what he shouldn't do by watching porn. He considered it like a documentary – a visual lesson. When he searched for porn, he clicked on the first result without even thinking. It was called PornHub. The thumbnails of the videos made him wrinkle his nose in disgust. He could never understand how people did all these for free. Sure, there were paid actors and he got the general idea of doing it for money, but the others? No. He didn't even understand why people were so crazy about sex in the first place, so maybe he shouldn't ponder on it.

He skimmed over the page to see if anything could help. Naruto was gay, so he figured he should watch gay porn. He scrolled to the top part of the page, moving the cursor to where it said 'Categories' and clicked on PornHub Gay.

The page loaded and he bit on a nail as he eyed the new thumbnails. Most of them looked the same; two guys banging each other, so he clicked a random one and reclined as the video started to play.

He tried taking a hint, but the two men were touching all over each other's naked bodies as they tongues battled in a not so romantic way. It looked nothing like how he and Naruto would ever be. Rolling his eyes, he returned to the main page and clicked on another one.

This one's pace was a lot slower. Two college boys were lying on a black, leather couch, kissing passionately. The brunette one on the bottom reached his hand and grabbed the blond hair of the other boy gently, tilting his head and deepening their kiss. Clothes were on, but they looked like they wanted them off.

The scene changed. They were fully naked now, their cocks in contact as they still kissed. The blond parted their lips and moved to his neck, planting sloppy kisses, then taking a nipple into his mouth and sucking. The other boy moaned. Hips thrust up and the scene changed again, now they were actually fucking.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes in interest. He didn't feel aroused by the scene, he was just trying to figure things out. Maybe it was a stupid idea to use porn for research.

Then, there was another scene change. Now the brunette was on top, riding the blond and pumping his own erect cock. He leaned in for a kiss.

The scene was familiar. Not entirely, but it looked like the time he'd kissed Naruto and the awakening sent a pleasant shiver down his spine, straight to his groin. He bit his lip harshly.

What was wrong with him? He was asexual. He had no sexual desires.

Then why did he want Naruto to be right now so they could mirror the actions?

He made a disgruntled noise and turned off the computer to lay down a bit. Research had done him no good, and worse, confused him even more. He rolled on the bed.

Half an hour later, his resolve was to leave things alone and let them shape how they were meant to be.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm sick, which means I'm needy, which means I want comments! Please leave a thought! :D**


	10. Listen To What The Man Said

Sasuke clicked open the tube of hair product and squeezed some into his palm. He was still wearing the jeans and sweater from earlier, so he'd decided to at least do his hair a bit for a change. It was still sticking up, but at least it looked better now. After putting his black Timberland boots on, he checked himself in the mirror one last time and made his way downstairs.

"Itachi. I haven't heard you come in," he greeted his brother, who was sitting in the living room and working on his laptop. "Has it been long?"

Itachi looked up and pushed his glasses up on his nose. "Maybe half an hour. What's the occasion? Going somewhere?"

He nodded. "Just next door. Naruto's throwing a house party."

"I never pegged you as someone who likes parties," he raised a dark brow.

"No. I'm not planning to stay for long. Just socializing," he sat down in his armchair.

"You look pale, Sasuke. Have you eaten?"

Sasuke thought about the last time he had. Aside from breakfast, the only thing he'd had was a sandwich, and that was around noon. He wasn't feeling very hungry, maybe his low mood was triggering it, but there was gonna be alcohol and drinking on an empty stomach didn't sound appealing. "No. I think there are leftovers in the fridge."

"Me neither. I'll heat—"

"Sit down." He ordered coldly and went to the kitchen without saying anything else. He didn't know why his tone was frigid or why he hadn't wanted Itachi to do it for him, and it wasn't really thoughtfulness. Truth was, he hadn't thought about Itachi's role in him being given away, yet he felt like there was bad blood between them now. At least, on his side. It was irrational, and he hoped it would go away soon, but he needed to stay away from being too close to Itachi for a while. Time would heal all wounds. Hopefully, this wound wasn't as deep as how it felt.

The microwave beeped five times. Sasuke took out the heated plates of pasta with mushroom sauce, put them on a tray along with two glasses of orange juice and pushed the door open with his foot.

Itachi's laptop was sitting idle on the couch next to him. He seemed to be awakened from his thoughts upon Sasuke's entrance. "Thanks," he murmured. His tone carried distress.

Sasuke swallowed his guilt with a swig of his orange juice. They ate in silence; Sasuke didn't feel like talking and Itachi was obviously afraid of making Sasuke angry with his words.

A vibration sound was heard. Sasuke checked his phone. It was Naruto, texting him to come over, and to come over _now_. Sasuke had thought the party wouldn't start until late hours, thus, hadn't hurried, but Naruto apparently wanted to spend every second possible with his friends.

"I should get going," Sasuke said. When he took Itachi's empty plate and put it back on the tray, Itachi didn't stop him.

"Hope you have fun tonight."

Sasuke forced a smile and after bringing the tray back to the kitchen, he put his keys and phone in his pocket. Since the house was next door, he figured he didn't need a coat. He opened the exterior door, and before taking a step outside, glanced at the living room. Itachi's hands were joined together and his lips were moving. Sasuke's brows knitted in thought, the guilt washed over. He cleared his throat. "Bye."

Itachi looked at him through the open door and weakly smiled. "Bye."

Once the door was closed, he exhaled sharply and started to leisurely stroll toward Naruto's house. The music and laughter could be heard from the distance. He took the turn around the corner of the fences and thirty seconds later, he was knocking on the door.

Of course, thanks to the music, no one heard the door and answered. Ringing the doorbell was futile, too. In frustration, he texted Naruto that he would leave if the door wasn't answered in a minute. No reply came, but short before a minute passed, the door opened to reveal a very handsome looking – no, handsome wasn't the right word to describe. With his blond, styled hair, with the blue, a few buttons undone, sleeves-rolled-up shirt that brought his eyes out, with that skinny tight black jeans and a huge smile on his face, Naruto was a goddamn bombshell blond tonight. Sasuke gulped loudly at the sight. The music prevented the sound from being heard.

"Come on in!"

Naruto invited him by extending his hand to the inside. He smelled Naruto's perfume as he walked by. It wasn't like the sweet, comforting scent Naruto normally smelled like. This was masculine, sharp, and it turned the image of Naruto in Sasuke's mind to a walking sex god. His eyes narrowed and he fidgeted uncomfortably.

"We were just getting started. You know most of the peeps," he walked Sasuke to the living room, where the music was playing and the majority of the people were. Sasuke didn't really get to look around with Naruto rushing him, but the house had a comforting, warm atmosphere if you didn't count the obnoxiously loud music. The walls were colored a light shade of cream, the furniture looked not old nor new. Naruto took a remote in his hand and lowered the volume to let people chat. "I need to get the drinks. You go ahead and mingle!" He patted Sasuke's shoulder before he got out of his sight.

"Idiot," Sasuke whispered under his breath. He didn't want to stand there like some anti-social geek, and thankfully, looking around for anyone he could talk to was a successful attempt. There Hinata was, talking to Sakura and smiling. Sai was nowhere in sight. Sasuke walked over to them.

Sakura noticed him first. "Oh. Sasuke! How are you?" She was wearing a green blouse and basic blue jeans.

"I'm good, thanks. And you?" He raised a hand to say hi to Hinata.

"Great. I wasn't expecting to see you here, but I'm glad you came. Um, sorry about that night," she blushed lightly. "We were all trying to relieve some stress and, you know, alcohol."

"It's fine," he smiled. "I wasn't really planning to. Naruto insisted."

"He does that," Hinata commented as she adjusted the white cardigan she was wearing over a purple dress. "But I agree with Sakura. It's n-nice seeing you."

Sasuke didn't do anything but nod. He was feeling warm inside with the knowledge that he was wanted here.

"Sasuke," Kiba's voice was heard. Sasuke turned around to see him. He was wearing black jeans – not as tight as Naruto's, and a red & black checkered shirt. An arm reached around Sakura and pulled her to himself as his chocolate brown eyes studied Sasuke skeptically. "What are you doing here?"

"Naruto invited me," he briefly answered. He wasn't getting good vibes from Kiba today. Their previous meeting had been nice, so why was Kiba acting like this?

"Hm." He turned to Hinata and started talking about how students were not using the library enough. Sakura smiled at Sasuke as if trying to apologize. Sasuke shrugged.

"And here's our drinks!" Naruto chose that moment to come in, holding a crate of beer with both hands. "Help yourselves. Let's have fun!"

People started to gather around Naruto to make small talk and grab a bottle. The cheerful blond was laughing and occasionally glancing at the other partiers like he wanted to make sure everyone was having a good time. When their eyes met, Sasuke averted his gaze. He didn't want Naruto to think he wasn't having fun, however, he really wasn't at the moment.

Moments passed. Sasuke was now sitting on a sofa, sipping on cold beer and watching the dancing couples with a bored expression he didn't bother trying to suppress. He licked his lips.

"At least try to act like you're enjoying this," Sai approached with a glass of water in his hand and a creepy smile on his lips. He didn't ask for permission to sit down very close to Sasuke. Their legs brushed.

"You're wrong if you think _you_ appear to be enjoying this," he commented.

"I'm making an effort," Sai shrugged. Sasuke rolled his eyes and stood up to get away from him. "Have you seen the paintings in the hall?"

"What paintings?" He pivoted to see Sai's face despite how odd he looked with that fake smile.

"I take that as a no," he stood up as well, leading the way to the said place. "They're remarkable. Naruto has a good taste in art."

Sasuke wouldn't know without seeing, and he wanted to see them for himself before commenting, so he just followed Sai. They weren't really alone in the hall once they arrived. A red-haired, browless man was talking to a blond woman with four ponytails on the stairs. The wallpaper covering the entire hallway was a cream color matching the paint of the living room, but there were golden leaf designs here unlike the living room. He scrutinized the basic, black frames and how they were all free of dust before he actually looked at the paintings. The first one that caught his eyes was a woman walking on a rainy day. It mostly consisted the shades of blue and orange. He eyed the details. It was good work. Sasuke was an architect and wasn't a professional in oil paintings, but he liked them and he had a good eye for it.

With an approving hum, he moved to the next frame. This was a boy, around the age of 5 or 6, sitting on a swing on his own. His blond hair was unkempt and his tiny hands were clutching the chains tightly like he was afraid to fall. "Is this…?"

"Yeah, it's Naruto. He asked me to paint it for him."

"It's amazing," he couldn't help but say. Sai wasn't exactly his favorite person, but he had to admit the man was talented as fuck.

"I know." He gulped a mouthful of beer. "You want some more?" He held the empty bottle to Sasuke.

"No thanks," Sasuke mumbled. His eyes were still on the painting. Something about it was captivating him, trying to tell something. He just couldn't figure it out.

After he studied every single frame individually, he introduced himself to the duo still talking on the stairs. He learned the man was Gaara, one of Naruto's childhood friends. He was working as a lawyer in St. Paul. The blond woman was his older sister, Temari. She ran a beauty salon. They both lived in Stillwater.

"I see you've already met," Naruto wrapped his arm around Sasuke shoulder and grinned stupidly. Sasuke arched a brow at the bold move. Being in public apparently didn't mean anything to Naruto. Or was this a friendly move and Sasuke was misinterpreting things again? He glanced at the siblings. They didn't look surprised. Maybe he was just exaggerating and causing himself to panic.

"Yes. Sasuke was just talking about the difficulties of getting used to a small town after living in a big city for so long," Gaara said.

"Oh. I should take you to Minneapolis more. You must be getting bored here."

Sasuke couldn't find anything to retort with, so he scowled. "Why aren't you drinking?"

He felt Naruto's body stiffen next to him. "Heh. Thought I could stay sober for a while. What's up, Temari?"

Naruto was trying to change the subject vainly. Temari smirked and swirled the liquid in her bottle. "Good. Business is going well."

"That's great," Naruto smiled. "Maybe that can change Gaara's stupid ideas about moving out of town. I bet you make enough money to feed both Gaara and Kankuro."

"We're adults, Naruto. I don't think Temari has a say in this."

"You think?" A _loving_ fist met Gaara's shoulder.

"Bossy." Naruto waggled his eyebrows at Temari. Sasuke was left wondering who Kankuro was. "Anyway, I—"

The doorbell rang.

"Were we expecting someone else?" Sai yelled from the living room.

"I don't know." Naruto pulled away from Sasuke to answer the door. Sai poking his head behind the wall. Sasuke waited for Naruto to open it.

With a click, the door opened. "N-Neji?" Naruto stuttered once he saw who was on the other side.

"Hello, Naruto." The man answered with a deep voice.

Sasuke took a hesitant step to see the man. He had hair almost as long as Itachi's, but it was a dark brown instead of jet black. His eyes resembled Hinata's strongly – maybe he was her brother or a relative. He looked at Naruto's expression. It was a mixture of puzzlement and nervousness.

"Hi," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "What brought you here?"

"Kiba told me you had a party and I was invited?"

"He did?" Naruto repeated. "He did… Right!" His expression changed to an overjoyed one (which looked incredibly fake to Sasuke) and he opened the door fully. "Come in! Sorry, you know I tend to be an idiot and forget things sometimes."

Neji smirked, entering the house and greeting the ones in the hallway. They obviously knew each other. Sai made a low gag noise before returning to whatever he was doing. Neji asked how Gaara and Temari were doing as Naruto stood right behind him, staring at his back.

After their small talk with the siblings, he turned to Sasuke and eyed him from head to toe. "I haven't seen you around. New in town?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in suspect. Neji seemed polite enough, but Naruto's attitude wasn't very comforting about the guy. "Yes."

"Hm. Neji Hyuuga," he held his hand for Sasuke to shake. Sasuke licked his teeth, deeming the handshake safe.

"Sasuke Uchiha."

Neji's grab on his hand tightened, then loosened completely. "Uchiha?"

"I'm Itachi's brother," he explained.

"I thought he was the only one left."

Annoyedly, Sasuke hissed. "Obviously not."

Naruto interfered before things got heated and a brawl broke out. "Neji. Hinata's here. You haven't seen her for a long time, right? Let's go talk to her," he grabbed Neji's wrist and pulled him with force to the other room. Sasuke stared at how their skin touched until they disappeared.

"They seem intimate for ex's," Gaara blurted.

Sasuke frowned. "They dated?"

"For almost a year," Temari spoke. "Good thing they broke up on good terms."

His throat suddenly felt very dry. "…I'll get another drink."

When he entered the living room, he saw the first crate was already empty. There was a second one full of canned beer, so he opened one and gulped down until he felt his thirst go away.

"Sakura, Kiba. Help me out in the kitchen, will ya?" He heard Naruto's voice. Since he didn't really know people here enough to keep a conversation going for long, and since he didn't really want to, he figured he should head home already. Socializing for almost an hour was enough for today and he was dying to read a book in his bed.

With the intention to bid goodbye, he followed them to the kitchen. Before he even opened his mouth, Naruto started pushing Kiba out of the door. "Sakura, sorry but you'll have to take care of these on your own. Kiba and I," his tone darkened. "Have something we need to talk about. Right now."

"Naruto—"

"Not now, Sasuke. Help Sakura if you want."

He didn't dare to say anything else. Naruto was indeed very angry, and Kiba wasn't trying to fight back. He watched them go up the stairs with wide eyes and heard a door slam.

Sakura sighed and put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Don't worry. They're good friends. They can sort it out once they have a talk."

Sasuke realized the look on his face probably made him look horrified. He quickly changed it to a neutral one.

"Could you help me with food if you're feeling well? You look a bit pale."

"Trust me, you're not the first person saying this today. I'm fine." He chose a random plate of food already arranged on the round kitchen table and brought it to the living room. He was acting like a semiautomatic robot; his body moved on its own between the kitchen and the living room while his mind was somewhere far away. When he realized there was no other plate, he took the place on the staircase Gaara and Temari had abandoned.

Voices could be heard from this distance. It wasn't a very friendly talk, that was for sure. He contemplated whether he should go without saying anything or wait until they stopped, yet after five minutes, they were still yelling upstairs. He climbed slowly, a hand sliding up on the railing as he worried on his lip.

Now, he could hear what they were saying clearly. He knitted his brows and grabbed on the wooden sphere on the end of the railing.

"Look. I'm only trying to help. You keep fucking yourself up over and over again and I'm the one who has to put you back together!" Kiba said. His voice sounded calm if you didn't count the tired-angry part. It was apparently Naruto did the shouting most of the time.

"I don't want your help if that's what you think you're doing! Bringing Neji here helped me in what way, Kiba? Tell me!"

"He reminded you that it's an awful idea to get hurt over people that are not worth it! You could've been great friends with him and look at what you've done! You knew from the very beginning he wasn't someone who could take all that… _tragedy_!"

"So? I've made a mistake and I lived through the consequences. Stop trying to get in my way."

"You said yourself that he's not interested, and you're still striving for him to notice you in _that_ way—You know what? Fuck you. If you wanna get heartbroken who am I to stop you?"

"Kiba!" Naruto's tone changed to a nervous one. "Wait. You know I care about you," he took a deep breath. "We kissed once. And he said he liked it."

Sasuke's hand started to get sweaty with anxiety. The guy Naruto was pining over sounded awfully familiar now. He felt the penny rolling down, rolling down...

Then it dropped.

"Naruto. You can't hold onto a small piece of hope thinking he will return your feelings. I already did all I can. Listen to me and don't go further than 'just friends' until you're absolutely sure if he likes you or not."

The door opened, and a distraught Kiba stepped out. He looked at Sasuke and rolled his eyes, muttering something inaudible before trudging down the stairs.

Sasuke let go of the rails and fisted his hands. So the guy Naruto liked was… him. He knew Naruto acted strange sometimes, but...

Thinking about it now, how oblivious had he been? Naruto's actions were practically shouting 'I really like you!' in silent words. When Sasuke had kissed him, he'd kissed back without hesitation. Sasuke didn't know what he was doing when he'd leaned in for a kiss but Naruto certainly did. He exhaled, confused.

But for now, he had to push this back in his mind. Naruto was still inside the room, probably in a worse condition than Kiba. If Naruto was his friend, he had to be there for him. Maybe his social skills weren't enough to help him relax completely and maybe he couldn't form sentences with comforting words, but the least he could do was to sit next to him. And about the other thing, like he'd decided earlier that day, he would let things shape on their own. First of all, he wasn't sure if he liked Naruto. There was this unusual attraction, sure, but was it liking? He had no idea how he was supposed to know that. Now he wished he'd done research about this too.

Sasuke lightly knocked on the door Kiba had left ajar to prevent Naruto from jumping. Pushing it with his hand, he walked in. Naruto was sitting on the edge of the bed, his legs were drawn to his stomach, chin resting on knees and eyes looking straight ahead. But he didn't really seem to _see_.

"Hey," he said. "I heard voices."

Naruto didn't make any sound or peer up. Sasuke brushed his bangs aside and closed the door with a soft sound. The room had blue wall paint. Sasuke was expecting orange, but Naruto apparently really did have good taste in house decoration. Bedsheets were a pale lilac, dresser, side table and wardrobe dark brown and they looked like a set. Overall, the place felt warm and cozy, just like Naruto. He noticed two black speakers on the dresser. If he had to spend many nights awake, this was the perfect room to do it. Preferably not on his own, though. Sasuke didn't like the idea of Naruto being trapped in loneliness.

"I like your room. It's so… you."

He heard Naruto inhale, then he smiled crookedly. "Thanks. Sorry about the commotion."

"No worries." He shook his head and slowly sat next to Naruto. "Is there something I can do to make you feel better?"

"That's very thoughtful of you, but not really. I'll be fine."

Sasuke purred. "You must really like this person."

Naruto slightly jumped, his feet falling and his feet meeting the ground. "You heard us?"

"Just the last bits. About the part where Kiba was telling you not to chase the guy."

"You… Sasuke…"

"I know, Naruto. I'm not stupid. You told him about the kiss we've shared."

Naruto's mouth took an O shape before he groaned and rubbed his hands on his face. " _Fuuuuck_."

Sasuke watched him lay down on his back. His hands were still covering his face. "You could've just told me, you know. I'm bad at reading actions, not hearing words."

"What, you really expect me to say ' _Hey, don't get me wrong but I really like you and wanna make out with you until our lips are bruised'_ or somethin'?"

Sasuke fidgeted uncomfortably at the words, and not because they disturbed him; because they reminded him of the 'naive' video he had watched. He silently cleared his throat. "The wording could've been different."

"Nevermind. The cat's out of the bag now anyway. Although," he parted two fingers to look at Sasuke. "The bag was actually open all the time."

All Sasuke could offer was to shrug and pinch the sheets to distract himself from feeling at fault. "You're over-exaggerating. You knew there was a huge possibility I wouldn't figure it out on my own."

Naruto's hands fell on the bed and his appearance turned dejected before taking a turn and becoming furious. He bolted toward the wardrobe, giving Sasuke a perfectly good view of his ass in his skin-tight jeans, then turned around to face him. " _No_. You can't say over-exaggerating. It's tautology."

Sasuke's hand froze. "What?"

"Exaggeration is already an overstatement."

A frown found Sasuke's face. "Technically, 'over' is not used as an adverb in this case because over-exaggerate is actually one word, not two," he retorted with a cold tone. "So you're a grammar Nazi now?"

"Don't mention the Nazis to me," he folded his arms. His face was turning a bright red. "I can't tolerate them."

"Great," Sasuke spit out and prepared himself to leave the room. "You can call me when you're ready to apologize for acting like an insolent child."

His hand was an inch away from touching the doorknob when Naruto pushed him hard to the wall and pressed their bodies flush. Sasuke's eyes were wide and his breath hitched. "Don't go," Naruto whispered into his ear, voice gruff and almost begging.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke shoved his chest to put distance between them. "You can't just—"

Of course, Naruto wouldn't listen. But this time, his way of shutting Sasuke up was by pressing his lips to Sasuke's desperately. Sasuke moaned in surprise and grabbed Naruto's shoulders. "You…" He looked at Naruto's lips, and a moment later, it was the blond that was trapped between the other and the wall.

Sasuke wasted no time in connecting their lips again. It felt even better than his memory was letting him remember. Naruto was warm and sweet, and he thought he could add addictive to the list now. Naruto put his hands on Sasuke's hips to pull him even closer. When hips rolled over Sasuke's shamelessly and made their groins touch, Sasuke's mouth opened and his back arched with a lightning of pleasure.

"What the fuck?" He panted over Naruto's mouth. The feeling was unfamiliar, but it felt fantastic. "Again. Do that again."

Naruto drew him into the kiss once more and complied Sasuke's wish. His body felt like the room was a thousand degrees, tingling sensations were crawling under his skin and he felt his blood slowly rush to his crotch. He realized his mouth was open and willing when Naruto's tongue sneaked in and found his, rubbing them together and trying to suck Sasuke's into his. Of course, Sasuke had no experience and easily yielded. A loud groan was ripped from his throat when Naruto started sucking on his tongue. His hips rolled once more.

"Naruto," he pulled back, out of breath. "We – we can't do this."

"Why?" He brushed Sasuke's bottom lip with his thumb, then pressed his lips to Sasuke's neck, right over his pulse and left an open-mouthed kiss. Sasuke had a feeling he wanted Naruto to suck there and mark him.

"I mean," he tried to use his brain. It was a lot harder than usual with his dick nearly half-hard. How Naruto could do that to him; something he'd never experienced before, he had no idea. "We didn't even talk about this. What are we doing?"

A sigh was heard and he felt a warm puff of air touching the wet spot on his neck. "I don't know."

"Then we're fucked up because I sure as hell don't know either." He throatily said, and took a step back, trying to cool himself down. He noted the outline of Naruto's obvious erection. "Wrong choice of jeans for tonight." He managed to say.

Naruto's lips curled upward. "I wouldn't wear anything at all if I'd known this was gonna happen."

"Tsk. Pervert," Sasuke licked his lips. Naruto's gaze immediately drew down to it. He uncomfortably looked around the room. "I was trying to say that I'm heading back home if that is fine by you," he said once he could focus again.

"S-sure," Naruto still looked like he was in a sweet daze. "I'd like you to stay longer but I get it. It's just gonna be awkward downstairs with Kiba and Neji now," he scratched his scalp. "Kiba does like you by the way. If you didn't hear that part."

"I believe he was telling you to stay away from me."

"Not really. It's just—" he darted his pink tongue out and put it in the middle of his upper lip. "Can you come over after they're all gone? We can talk properly then."

Sasuke tugged the hem of his sweater down without noticing. "Fine. Don't blame me if they take so long and I fall asleep."

"Not after the mood is ruined. Half of 'em are probably already gone by now," Naruto mumbled. He looked kind of upset about his party not being a blast, but Sasuke was absolutely sure there were some happiness and enthusiasm hidden in his face.

"If that's sorted out," he said. "I'll say goodbye to others and head out. You still have a problem down there, I see."

Naruto started to blush again. "Bastard. You told me to do it again. Of course, I obeyed."

A smug smirk sprawled out on his lips at the knowledge of the effect he had on Naruto. And the only thing they'd done was to kiss and maybe a pinch of dry-humping. "Well. See you later."

He opened the door and before he stepped out, Naruto planted a soft, innocent kiss on his cheek with a broad smile on his face, his eyes reflecting the glint from the light bulb. "I'm looking forward to it."

XxX

He quietly shut the door behind him and walked down the hallway. It was surprising to see the living room light still on, and he could hear voices coming from the TV, too. On the couch, Itachi was fast asleep with the throw blanket lazily hanging over the edge. Two arms covered with a black sweatshirt held Sasuke's plushie tightly. A tired, guilty sigh left Sasuke's lips and he turned the TV off with the remote standing on the coffee table.

"Itachi," he whisper-shouted. "Wake up."

The older man stirred in his sleep but did not open his eyes. Sasuke kneeled before the couch and rubbed his eyes.

"Itachiiii." His voice louder this time.

It was enough noise for Itachi to stir into consciousness. The dark orbs revealed themselves and he yawned, covering with a hand while the other still held his dinosaur. His hair wasn't tied like it usually was, it was spread over the pillow his head rested on. "Sasuke. Did you have a good time?" He throatily asked.

Sasuke thought he should say 'yes' and slide it over, but his heart was tired of treating his brother this way. Especially after being a dick to him earlier, he thought he owed him this. "Not really."

"What happened?" Itachi sat up with interest, patting the seat next to him for Sasuke to sit down. Sasuke complied. The couch cushions were still warm.

"…Someone came over. His name was Neji."

Itachi winced slightly when he heard the name leave Sasuke's mouth. "And?"

"I assume you already know who he is from your face." Itachi nodded. "Naruto got mad at Kiba for inviting him, they had a fight, and we kissed."

"You kissed?" Itachi asked like he wanted to make sure his ears weren't deceiving him.

"Yeah." He licked his lips, remembering the warm feeling of Naruto's mouth over his own. "And I liked it."

"Sasuke," Itachi shook his head and brushed his hair to the side. "If you don't mind me asking, do you swing that way?"

"See, that's the problem. I don't swing _any way."_

"…I'm not sure I follow."

Sasuke groaned. "I don't follow either. I have no idea what is going on and it scares me, to be honest." Naruto's attitude despite knowing Sasuke was disinterested in sex was calming, but it wasn't like he was relieved either.

Itachi looked at the plush in his hand, then slowly put it on Sasuke's lap. Sasuke frowned, yet, his hands wrapped around it. "You should talk to Naruto about this."

"I will. After the party is over."

"Good. What I can tell you is," his hand landed on Sasuke's knee. "Do what you think will make you happy. I've seen you two can fit like puzzle pieces if you want, and I have no problem with my brother being in a homosexual relationship if you ever wonder about that. I'm just asking you this: don't jump into a relationship that could hurt you in the future. I know all relationships carry that potential, but if you see it coming and still walk into it, you'll only sadden all of us." He nibbled on his lip, then smiled. "Naruto was careless and did wrong things in the past, but he's been happy since you arrived. I can tell."

Sasuke nodded. He was thankful that Itachi wasn't denying to give him advice because of his foul attitude. "Thank you."

"If there's anything I can do, I'd be happy to help. But about you not swinging any way," he mumbled,"There's not much I can say. Everyone has it different."

"…How about you?" Itachi had made it clear that he wasn't disinterested in a way, but Sasuke wanted to know.

Itachi turned his face away. Sasuke found himself wanting to giggle at his brother's shyness about this matter. "I'm straight. I like girls."

"Hn. I thought you were asexual when I saw your bed. We couldn't even lay together comfortably that night."

Now a light shade of pink was certainly on Itachi's cheeks. "Never had time for a relationship."

Sasuke let his voice out this time, chuckling rather loudly. Itachi lightly punched his shoulder at that.

"Sorry," his body stopped shaking with laughter, but his lips were still indicating a smile. "You don't seem like the type to be shy when talking about these, but you actually are, aren't you?"

"Maybe. A little bit," said Itachi, then poked Sasuke's forehead in a genuine, affectionate manner. "You had me worried earlier."

Sasuke averted his gaze. He had told Naruto to stop acting like a child, but he wasn't acting any different when he was with Itachi. The poor man had no fault, plus, he was suffering all these years and carrying the guilt. He really had to stop being an ass. "I know. I'm so—"

"Shh. Don't apologize to me." He reached and pulled Sasuke into a hug.

"Mm," Sasuke purred, his mouth on Itachi's collar and let go of the plush to hug back. "Are all brothers usually this intimate?"

"No. I don't think so. But they _usually_ grow up together and have the opportunity to show each other their love throughout the years."

"I guess so," Sasuke stated. They pulled back after a while. The hug was a much-needed one, that was obvious on both their faces. Sasuke felt ashamed of himself for thinking they had bad blood; when Itachi was working this hard to build their brotherhood from ashes, he was showing no effort and blaming Itachi again. His pride didn't allow him to say a word about this, but it didn't really matter. Itachi probably already knew.

"Be careful, Sasuke. Choose the best for both of you," Itachi got up and aimed for the stairs.

Sasuke gulped. "I will."

He trusted his reason, but this had nothing to do with reason. That was the problem.

A groan was heard and he lay down on Itachi's spot, deciding to kill some time with TV while he waited for Naruto's house party to be over.

xXx

His eyes were closing on their account; the result of mixing alcohol and very boring TV shows. It was already past midnight and he hoped they were all gone now because he couldn't wait any longer. He'd done some thinking meanwhile. There were things he wanted to take into consideration, a handful of basic rules. First of all, he wanted Naruto to be safe. If Naruto thought having this sort of thing with Sasuke could hurt him in any way, Sasuke didn't want it.

And there were, of course, other things, like… He was sure they had to take things slow. Naruto was experienced and used to having sex regularly, but Sasuke had no idea. He wasn't even sure how his body would react once they were actually doing it. He hadn't been attracted to anyone until this point. Hell, he'd never even gone wild with desire. His sex drive wasn't crazy like that. It was just a natural part of the human anatomy from him. Naruto had been nothing but sweet about this, so he had little to no worries, but he still wanted to make sure.

Okay, now he was panicking. What if Naruto wanted to have sex _tonight_? Or, what if he backed down and told him the kisses were just 'spur of the moment' things? Naruto had said he liked him. Maybe he just wanted to say sorry and—

But Naruto had fought with Kiba because of this. He wanted Sasuke. He wasn't a bad person, he liked Sasuke as a friend and obviously, far more than that.

Sasuke decided to just leave it and got off the couch, preparing to leave the house once more. The only friend he could ask for help was Ino, but she would ask for every detail if he called him right now and leave Sasuke frustrated, and to be honest, he wanted to figure things out himself.

He quietly closed the door and breathed in the fresh scent coming from the trees. It was chilly now, and on second thought, he opened the door again and came out with a jacket this time. Leisurely, he walked to Naruto's front door and listened. It was quiet, no music, no chattering, nothing. They had obviously left. He knocked on the door, and when no answer came, he rang the doorbell.

"Sasuke?" He heard Naruto's voice from a distance. "I'm in the backyard. Use the path on your left."

He turned his head, and there indeed was a path he hadn't noticed before. It was between the fence and the house, but it was small enough that only two could walk together.

He sauntered the dark road. Only the moonlight was lighting his way. He could clearly see the end, though.

"I thought you wouldn't come. They're all long gone."

He saw Naruto when he stepped on the grass. He was sitting on a swing chair big enough to fit three people. Looking around, he realized the backyard was almost a totally separate area. There was a modern patio with barbecue, and the area behind Naruto had enough trees to make it a private backyard. He waltzed toward Naruto and sat down on the other end of the swing chair. The cushions were soft and cozy. He had a feeling Naruto liked spending time here very much.

"Sasuke?"

"Nice backyard," he finally spoke. "I bet it looks better in the daylight. I can't see much now."

"It does. Thanks," Naruto answered. "This is where I am when the weather's warm. Mosquitos try to send me away sometimes, but I'm attached to how I can get away from life and find some peace of mind here."

"Hn," Sasuke pushed a bit so they were swinging at a low speed. "You don't have that opportunity in cities. It's all about buildings, skyscrapers. You can't see the stars when you look up," he mirrored the action as if he wanted to prove he could see them here. He could. A very vivid image of the stars shining entered his vision. "Maybe that's what I like, though. The buildings."

Naruto let out a low breath. "Are you gonna move once you and Itachi are stable?"

"I haven't thought about it." He gave the swing another push. The pale moonlight was shining on the flowers around the patio, so he kept his gaze on them. "I don't think I can completely get used to living in a small town. But I don't know if I can return to California either."

"I see." Naruto changed his position to an angle he could see Sasuke. As a response, Sasuke did it too.

"Naruto," he started. "I don't know."

The blond man lowered his gaze to Sasuke's chest. "We should tell each other what we expect from the kiss."

"How about… you start. And I'll agree or disagree."

"O-okay," Naruto gazed into his eyes again. "I was thinking about what Kiba said. He knows I rush things and… he's right. I say we try to take things slow, whatever this is going to be."

"Agreed," Sasuke nodded. He was happy that Naruto was thinking pretty much the same thing as he did.

"And about what this is going to be. I don't wanna beat around the bush. I like you as a friend, but if you agree so, I would willingly have a romantic relationship with you."

Sasuke swallowed loudly. "Continue."

Naruto started moving the swing back and forth with his leg rather than letting it sway. "I know you don't wanna have sex and—"

He cut in. "What gave you that impression?"

Naruto blinked a couple of times. "You said you're not sexually interested."

"I did," he stated. "…That might be inaccurate after what happened today."

"You mean…" Naruto's mouth went agape, then he grinned. " _Riiight_. You liked it when I dry-humped you."

"Idiot," Sasuke scooted and nudged Naruto with his elbow.

"But you totally did. So, what is it then? You wanna fuck me right now? Or," his grin broadened. " _You want me to fuck you_?"

"Naruto!" Sasuke knitted his brows. His face was starting to feel very hot despite the chill. "Get serious or I'm leaving."

"Okay, okay," Naruto chuckled. Then it faded on a sudden, his face a deep frown. "You must be confused as hell. And look at what I'm sayin'. You're free to punch me."

"Don't need permission for that," Sasuke smirked. "Stop sulking. I am confused, but I'll survive."

"You've never felt this way about someone before?" Naruto murmured as he reached a hand to cup Sasuke's cheek. "Not even once?"

"No. Not even once," said Sasuke. The hand was warm against his now cold cheek, and he found himself wanting it to stay there. Naruto's thumb started moving, stroking his cheekbone.

"That is quite flattering, you know? And it makes me happy," he smiled genuinely. "I don't know what made you feel like this, but I hope it doesn't change anytime soon."

Sasuke hummed a low sound of approval and closed his eyes to relax against Naruto's hand. A moment later, his other cheek was covered too, and soon enough, lips found his, capturing them in a soft kiss.

Naruto had never kissed him like this before. The first time was a rushed accident, second time was hungry and dominant despite Naruto being trapped. But this one… This one was honest. It felt like how a first kiss was supposed to be. It was captivating, slow, tender and it was a heady feeling to do it. He couldn't help but let out a soft whimper against Naruto's lips and his hands found Naruto's neck, one grabbing the soft, blond locks and the other, drawing Naruto closer from the heated skin of his nape while he kissed back.

"Hmm," Naruto moaned softly. His tongue followed the seam of Sasuke's lips, asking for permission to touch their tongues together. Sasuke drew in a shaky breath and opened his mouth enough to let Naruto in. When their wet muscles met, they didn't rub hungrily. Instead, it was a soft graze, adding a hint of sensuality. Sasuke shivered with pleasure at it.

One of Naruto's hands slid down to and pressed flush to his chest. Then, slowly, moved to his stomach and lifted the hem of his sweater to touch the warm skin under.

He parted their lips at the contact, panting softly. Naruto was looking at him like he was expecting Sasuke to stop him.

Sasuke licked his wet lips and took a deep breath. Did it feel good? Yes. Would this cause them any trouble? No. Then there was no reason to chicken out right now. He closed his eyes again rested his forehead on Naruto's. Their hot breaths mingled together.

"God, Sasuke," Naruto whined needily as his hand moved up. "We said we would take it slow."

"We're not doing anything," Sasuke answered, then looked down to see Naruto's hand. Before he was able to look at it, a very obvious bulge in Naruto's pants made him realize this was not exactly taking it slow for the other. "Oh."

"Do you realize how much you turn me on?" Naruto retreated his hand and pulled the fabric down. "You don't even get aroused by these, do you?"

Sasuke put some distance between their faces. "Why are you getting angry over this? I like kissing you, but it doesn't make me want to come in my pants. So what?"

"I…" Naruto bit down on his bottom lip. "I'm sorry. Kissing you like this sends me into overdrive and I can't help but want more."

Sasuke leaned back in his seat and murmured, "I don't know if I can give you all you want. I'd be a liar if I said you're not turning me on at all though, which is unusual for me. I think I want to see where this leads."

"Maybe Kiba is right in the end," Naruto said. "You will just dump me if it doesn't work and I'll be the one who suffers once more."

"Maybe Kiba is wrong and I'll end up falling for you," Sasuke retorted. He was only trying to prove a point, but Naruto's expression changed to something unreadable.

"…That would be a dream come true," he whispered. Sasuke felt his heart skip a beat in his chest. "Sasuke. Come with me."

Without questioning, he followed Naruto through the narrow path again. Asking why they weren't using the backdoor was on his mind, but the atmosphere didn't seem right.

Naruto pushed open the door and Sasuke closed it behind him, then kept following Naruto, who climbed the stairs and opened the door to his room. Sasuke guessed the other door they'd passed was his parents' room. He didn't comment on it.

The lights were on. Naruto hastily opened the top drawer next to his bed as Sasuke watched him curiously, and grabbed a bottle, pushing the drawer close with the back of his thigh.

"Is this…?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"The lube I've promised you for pushing me with the cart," Naruto grinned. "I didn't use it, don't worry."

Sasuke gawked at him. "You want me to take it?"

"Yes." Naruto walked to him, took hold of Sasuke's hand and placed the bottle in his palm, then closed Sasuke's fingers around it. "I know you said you don't masturbate often, but try it. For me. Even if it's just for once."

"What for?"

"So you can figure out if you really want me or not. But, umm," he fidgeted on his feet. "You need to think of me as you jerk off."

Sasuke couldn't help but scoff. "That makes absolutely no sense."

Naruto frowned deeply. "Please. It's for me," he covered Sasuke's empty hand with the two of his own, holding like he was begging him.

"None of these are logical in the slightest," Sasuke murmured, his eyes on Naruto's hands and how warm they felt against his skin.

"I told you emotions have nothing to do with logic," Naruto replied quietly. One of his hands brushed Sasuke's bangs and gingerly tucked the hair behind his hair, then cupped his jaw and offered a sad, tired smile. "Tell me, princess, now when did you last let your heart decide?"

"You did not just quote Aladdin," Sasuke said disdainfully, but a small smile in response was forming on his lips.

"I did." Naruto's hand fell limply by his side. "Promise you'll try."

Sasuke looked at the small bottle in his hand and briefly nodded. "I promise I will try."

"Okay," Naruto's smile widened and his eyes sparkled with hope. "Thanks. I'd ask if you wanna do somethin' now, but I guess we both need some time for ourselves to think."

"Couldn't agree more."

Naruto look at his bed, uncertain. Then he looked back at Sasuke. "Goodnight."

Sasuke shook his head like he was in a trance. "Goodnight."

Before leaving, he left a small, weird but hopefully, kind of cute kiss on Naruto's lips. He could swear Naruto's grin could be felt from a mile away.

XxX

 _Naruto kissed Sasuke with such fervor that Sasuke's toes curled with pleasure. He felt intoxicated as he kissed back with the same growing passion. Warm hands were soothing up his sides, rubbing and occasionally nails lightly scratched against his skin. He moaned when his right nipple was pinched and twisted between two fingers._

" _Naru—ah!" A hand palmed his crotched firmly and massaged his steadily hardening length. Naruto left his lips only to lick his way down and after he hastily tugged Sasuke's pants, took the weeping erection into his hot, wet mouth without a warning. Sasuke's back arched off the bed and his sweaty hands gripped the blond locks—_

Out of breath, Sasuke opened his eyes. His whole body was sweaty, shaking and when he tried to sit up, he realized he was rock hard.

"What the fuck?" He mumbled. "I haven't had a dream this crazy since I was a teenager."

Watching porn surely had affected his mind. He licked his dry lips. The dream was coming back to him, and he couldn't stop shivering at how clear it was. He could almost still feel Naruto's wet cavern around his cock, sucking him dry.

After leaving Naruto's, he'd come straight to his bed and crawled in only wearing boxers. The bottle of lube was on the bedside table, waiting to be used. He'd spent minutes trying to convince himself to do it. Imagining Naruto wasn't very difficult, but getting hard was tough with only daydreaming at this point. Of course, he knew touching himself would solve his little problem, but he'd apparently fallen asleep before being able to do so.

A cold shower would probably get him to cool down easily, but he had promised Naruto he would try, and that's what he intended to do. He slipped off his boxers with ease. There already was a damp spot on the front. He panted when he realized it was arousing how a simple dream could've gotten him this hard. Years had spent with girls –sometimes boys- trying to get a date, and he'd never felt an attraction toward any of those people, no matter how good-looking they were. There was something about Naruto he couldn't quite put his finger on, but whatever it was, the outcome felt good. _Really_ good.

The bottle got uncapped and a faint scent of watermelons filled the room. He wasn't in the mood to laugh, but it tore a smirk from him. He squeezed some of the cold gel into his palm and the bottle went back to its place. Now all he had to do was to jack off thinking about Naruto.

It was harder than it looked. Something in the back of his mind blocked him. Maybe it was the thought of all his walls would come down when it came to Naruto after this, and that was scary for someone who had spent his life putting a distance between himself and others. But this was just masturbation, it didn't have to mean anything. If he didn't like it, he could let Naruto in the morning and they would pretend nothing had happened.

His aching cock asked for attention by oozing a drop of pre-cum and it slid down the shaft. He relaxed his muscles and decided to just get on with it. Without Naruto or not, he had to relieve himself right now and trying to think wasn't really working when all his blood was down there.

His hand wrapped around himself and the gel felt cold against his hot flesh. He smeared it on the head and the shaft, warming it up a bit. Then, he closed his eyes. His dream was still there now that his worries were put aside. Naruto was kissing him, touching him, his tan hand was the one that slowly started to pump his cock. He bit his bottom lip. This was better than he remembered.

He imagined Naruto on top of him, kissing his chest and playing with his nipples and staring at Sasuke with that wickedly blue eyes of his as his hand stroked Sasuke slowly, touching the slit with his thumb and smearing the pre-cum pooling there. He mirrored the action with his hand. A needy moan was heard. He wouldn't last for long, that was for sure.

Now Sasuke was on top. Their lips were connected, their tongues battled and all they heard was moans and sloppy sounds of a lustful kiss. Sasuke's hand trailed down to pump his neglected erection. Naruto didn't need it because he was inside of Sasuke, thrusting into him and groping the pale flesh of his ass.

The movement of his hand gained speed. Something in his lower stomach was starting to clench on the inside.

The position changed in his mind. Now Sasuke was the one thrusting into the scorching heat of Naruto's hole. It felt amazing, Naruto was panting, throwing his head back and his golden locks were spread out on the pillow, a sheen layer of sweat covering his entire body. He cried for more, begged with a hoarse voice and Sasuke willingly started to enter him harder.

His hips started to thrust forward on their own, and with a very loud grunt, he reached his peak and came all over his chest. White spurts kept coming out of his softening cock as he breathed heavily. His hand stopped pumping when he came to his senses.

He had just jerked off to Naruto. And it was the best orgasm he'd ever had. He was boneless now, and sleep was starting to take over again, so he wiped his hand on the bedsheets and grabbed his black boxers, pulling them on just in case. The sweat and cum were drying on his chest, but he could shower in the morning. He had other stuff to do too, like letting Naruto know he indeed turned him on and he wanted to fuck like rabbits without even knowing why he wanted it. He hummed, completely satisfied, and let himself doze off.


	11. My Mistakes Were Made For You

Finding out that he had to scratch the dry semen out of his stomach was unpleasant, especially when he was in a hurry to tell Naruto the good news. When he was out of the shower after 15 minutes, Sasuke opened the door to his closet and looked at his clothes blankly. It was a special day. Or at least, it was supposed to be. He wanted to look good. The image of Naruto in tight jeans appeared before his eyes, making him want to see it again. The definition of his muscles was not missed by Sasuke. It would be enough if he wore his usual choice of clothing because he looked fairly good in everything and he knew it, and after he rummaged through his stack of black and blue jeans, he found the black wash jeans with rips on the knees. It wasn't very tight – Sasuke had learned his lesson last night about how fast Naruto could get excited – so it would work just fine.

The jeans were hanging off of an empty shelf as Sasuke tried to pick a t-shirt. Nothing seemed to be good enough, but he didn't want it to be _too_ good that he'd look like he was trying too hard. A white one caught his eye, but he threw it to a side with a cringe when he read what it said on the front: _Sorry, I'm Already Taken By A Super Hot Architect._

Hah. Maybe Naruto would want to wear it in the future.

He ultimately opted for a plain, black t-shirt with short sleeves. A thin camo jacket went over it and after he slipped on some socks and shoes, he felt ready to go.

Things had always been impromptu with Naruto, so he didn't even bother thinking about what he'd say once he faced Naruto. What bothered him the most was dirty sheets now. In a couple of minutes, they were replaced with fresh ones that smelled like roses. He smirked at himself, satisfied.

Itachi was, of course, at work as usual. Sasuke was unaware of what time it was, but he didn't have a job or an appointment he needed to be there for, so it was okay to slack off like he'd been doing for the past week, which was something he needed to change soon. He checked the kitchen to see if he would feel like eating. Cereal was too unhealthy and he didn't want to cook something. As he headed toward the front door, he hoped Naruto hadn't eaten yet so they could eat together.

It was a sunny, bright day. Warm, just like how it felt when Naruto smiled at Sasuke. This scene –where the birds sang, the sun shined, the trees swayed along with the soft breeze- had never seemed realistic in movies, and the descriptions of them had never made sense in novels, yet here it was, adding a sentimental feeling in the air. Sasuke's smirk turned into a small smile as he knocked on Naruto's door twice.

This was the third time Naruto wasn't answering out of four times Sasuke had knocked on this very door. He rolled his eyes and started strolling to the backyard. The weather was pretty nice. Naruto could be there. When he was out of the shadows and out in the sun again, he took a moment to gawk at how beautiful the yard looked in broad daylight. The flowers he'd been staring at last night were very neat and apparently were taken care of real good. Naruto must have had a green thumb.

He kneeled before the white, purple and orange hyacinths and breathed in the faint scent mixed with the lilacs next to them. You didn't get to have your own garden in most cities. This was truly a blessing.

He walked around some more. The barbecue seemed like it wasn't used in years, or maybe Naruto just kept it very clean. The chairs on the patio were under a sunshade; it was the perfect place to be on a summer day.

After a couple more minutes spent with contemplating the garden, he decided to return and ring the doorbell this time. Maybe the reason why Naruto never heard the knock was because he spent too much time listening to music and damaged his ears with the ridiculously high volume. He narrowed his eyes to at least partially block the sunbeams in his eyes and rang the doorbell once. Then twice. No one answered.

If Naruto was away, he would let Sasuke know. So he was definitely inside, and Sasuke didn't have his phone with him at the moment. He tried to open the door. It was surprisingly unlocked.

"Idiot," he groaned and closed it behind himself. He checked the living room, kitchen, then he figured he should see if Naruto was still in bed. The clock on the wall said it was 11.34. He climbed the stairs with loud footsteps, making the wood squeak under hit feet. Without knocking (he'd done that earlier and it hadn't worked for anybody), he pushed the door open.

The room was almost dark if you didn't count the light seeping in through the blinds. Naruto was in bed, wearing light gray sweats and his chest was bare. Sasuke noticed the earphones in Naruto's ears and raked a hand through his dark hair in frustration. He'd been enthusiastic about today, he was here to let Naruto know about how he was able to jerk off thinking about him without getting creeped out, but here the blond was, sleeping in!

He angrily pulled the white strap and raised the blinds, letting the daylight in. The room looked much cozier like this. Sasuke thought the baby blue color on walls reflected the light in a way that could soothe a person mentally, and just the general ambiance created with the small object lying around was enough to make Sasuke feel at ease. And, of course, Naruto's smell. His own room didn't have those; it felt like a cold, empty space he had to use to sleep. Naruto, on the other hand, was living here for years. The room was connected with him.

He kicked off his shoes and crawled into the bed. Naruto didn't even stir at the movement of the mattress. Sasuke made himself comfortable next to the other man, then reached forth to jerk Naruto's earphones, but his hand froze in the air when he realized this was a perfect opportunity to watch Naruto.

Naruto was… alluring. Sasuke knew his friend was a very handsome man, but the way he looked when he slept was a whole another thing. The other night, he hadn't been able to see every little feature because of the lack of light, but now, he could see how every ray of light flickered on the caramel colored skin of his chest, how the soft, blond locks fell on his forehead and complemented his facial features beautifully. Countless people must have been dying to jump him at the first sight. Sasuke had fans too, but he was a distant person, pushing people away with his words and general attitude. With the cheerful, friendly, kind personality of his, Naruto was surely the ultimate boyfriend for everybody.

He wouldn't mind waking up to this sight in the mornings.

Sasuke crossed his legs beneath him and his gaze roamed down to the muscular chest. Naruto didn't have the body of an athlete, but he sure had a fit body. It rose and fell with his steady breathing, making Sasuke wonder how it would feel to touch it.

"Okay, now I'm being creepy," he shook his head as he told himself out loud. If his two-weeks-ago-self could see this, he was sure the poor man would put a gun to his head. With a sudden movement, he pulled the earphones out of Naruto's ears and found Naruto's iPod, powering it off. Naruto was somehow _still_ sleeping.

"Wake up!" Sasuke grunted. "It's almost noon." He poked Naruto's upper arm a couple of times, and when Naruto didn't respond, lightly slapped his cheek.

"Wha—" Naruto grumbled and opened his eyes. His arms moved up to stretch. Sasuke looked away to not see how his chest looked when he did that. "Sasuke. What are you doing here?"

"You left the door unlocked, you moron. Why do you sleep with earphones?"

"Must have fallen asleep," said Naruto, and rubbed his eyes with harsh movements. Then, his eyes found Sasuke's dark ones. They stared at each other.

"What?" Sasuke frowned.

"You're in my bed."

"So?"

Naruto threw him an annoyed look before sitting up, moving the covers to find the t-shirt underneath and throwing it on. Sasuke couldn't say he was altogether pleased with his blocked view to Naruto's body. It was pretty gay, he had to admit. Naruto put his pillow between his body and the headboard and leaned back, his legs crossed at his ankles. "Who told you that you can get in the bed anyway?"

"No one," Sasuke shrugged. "You slept in my bed twice. I have the right to be here."

Naruto rolled his eyes at him, but a small smile started to tug his pink lips up. "You had breakfast yet?"

"No, but that's not the important thing right now." He crawled closer to Naruto. "Remember what I promised you?"

"Yes," Naruto nodded. "How can I forget?"

"Well, I went home and fell asleep."

Naruto started nervously chewing on his bottom lip. "Heh. Guess I should've seen it coming."

"I'm not done yet," Sasuke warned."I woke up in the middle of the night when I had this dream."

"And?"

"The dream… was about you. And you know… I was kind of… hard when I woke up."

"You were?" Naruto's eyes widened.

"Yes. And I got the opportunity to use your gift. The result was…"

Naruto propped on his elbows, his eyes puppy-like. "Sasukeee. Just tell me already!"

"It worked, okay?" Sasuke mumbled. "I am attracted to you and I wanna have sex with you. I know it sounds crazy.

"God, please don't be messing with me," Naruto whispered and licked his lips, the blue of his eyes glazed with emotions. "What did you think of while you were doing it?"

"Stop being a pervert."

"Answer me. I wanna know," he crawled on the bed and stood right behind Sasuke. His hot breath was making the skin of Sasuke's neck take fire.

"Various things. The dream was about you going down on me. But I thought about you fucking me… or me fucking you." He wasn't ashamed to say these out loud, but it still made him feel very hot. Or was it Naruto's presence?

"Mm." Two strong arms wrapped around his torso. "You have no idea how happy that made me."

"Apparently enough to make you forget about our rule," Sasuke pushed the arms off and turned around to face Naruto. "Look, I don't want you to do something you'll regret later. I'm fine with taking it slow. I may be thrilled about this, but I won't let you get hurt, even if it means we have to wait for an uncertain amount of time."

"Y-you…" Naruto stammered, hit bottom lip quivered, then tears started to form in his eyes. Without letting Sasuke comment, he frantically wiped them with the back of his hands and started to chuckle hysterically. "Stop being so kind to me."

"You complain when I am a bastard, you complain now. Are you sure you want me to stay?" Sasuke retorted with a voice softer than he'd intended. Seeing Naruto try hard to not break down was doing weird things to him.

"Yeah!" Naruto wiped the wetness on his hands on his shirt and grinned at Sasuke. "Don't worry, I'm a big boy. I can be patient if it means we'll both be happy in the end."

Sasuke arched a confused brow. "Does that mean we're dating now?"

Naruto shook his head. "Not exactly. I mean—we can call it that if you want, I like you too much to have doubts about wanting a relationship with you. But you've never had one before and there's no point in forcing it when you've barely figured you can get it up for me."

"You're blunt about this, aren't you?" Sasuke took a deep breath. "I think I do want it. But I don't want to risk letting you down if I come to change my mind."

"And that's why I'm not calling you my boyfriend just yet. We don't actually have to put an exact label to it or anything, just like you're asexual but you wanna have sex with me," he giggled, earning a glare from Sasuke. "Wait, does that mean I can call you Naruto-sexual?"

"Sure, if you have a death wish."

"Here goes the kindness," Naruto rubbed an eye tiredly. "But see, I don't believe in labels. People strive to find boundaries and tag themselves as straight, gay, bisexual, demisexual, asexual or whatever, and I don't even know what most of them mean. You can like women but find out your soulmate is a man later, or the positions reversed. I think," he leaned in closer to Sasuke, "Anything is fine as long as you're happy. We can experiment and find out what we expect from this together and nobody has to call it something. If we like it, we can announce each other as boyfriends."

"Let me get this straight." He scratched his cheek. "We're friends with benefits now?"

"NO!" Naruto threw his hands up in the air dramatically. "That's something else! You can't call us 'friends with benefits'!"

Sasuke hummed in thought.

"I think 'friends who happen to like each other' works just fine for now," Naruto added. "But we have to draw a borderline for now so we won't get carried away and take it too far."

"Kissing and touching should be okay when both parties are willing," Sasuke said. "You determine the borders. You're the one who gets excited by dry-humping."

"All people do, including you," Naruto hissed. "I bet you wouldn't last three minutes if I kept it going."

"Stop pushing it."

"Fine. Kissing, touching and… occasional dry-humping?"

"Alright," Sasuke shrugged. "If you manage to not come in your pants when we do it."

Naruto pouted, his bottom lip looking glossy. "It's been a long time since I had sex. Shut up."

"Technically, it's been longer for me."

"It's 'cause you haven't discovered how good it feels yet. Trust me, you won't wanna leave this," he smugly pointed at his body with both index fingers. "Once you get the taste of it."

Sasuke smirked. "We'll see who will get the taste of whom."

Naruto brushed his hand to Sasuke's arm suggestively instead of getting angry. "I'd love to get the taste of you," he murmured, lips dangerously close to Sasuke's. "Kiss you, lick you. _Suck you_."

Sasuke felt his mouth go dry, and his cock actually twitched at Naruto's words. Either Naruto was very good at dirty talking, or Sasuke had a weak spot for it. He didn't wait for Naruto to initiate it as he connected his fingers with Naruto's messy bed hair and tugged the man closer, making their lips touch hungrily. It had not even been 12 hours since they'd last kissed, but he felt like he'd been deprived of it for years. It made him alive.

Naruto pulled back before Sasuke got a chance to deepen it. His eyes were glazed and he was clutching the hem of his shirt. "I think we should stop for now," he said with a rough voice.

"Hn," Sasuke gulped, his gaze finding Naruto's lips again. He wanted to say no, yet, rules were rules. "Fine."

"Give me a couple of minutes to shower and I'll make you breakfast, yeah? Whatever you like." He jumped off the bed and opened his wardrobe to pick out some clothes.

"You can make breakfast?" He changed the angle he was sitting in order to see Naruto. "I'm impressed."

"I'm a good cook," he threw a pair of cargo jeans on the bed, tilted his head to grin, then went back to finding a top.

"Let me decide about that," Sasuke said as he slipped on his shoes. "I'll be downstairs. You didn't even give me a house tour last night. Lousy host."

"Ah, it's been hectic last night. You can walk around and see things for yourself if you want." He closed the wooden door and headed for the bathroom with the clothes in his hands.

"Maybe I will. Don't take long or I'll leave."

"As if you could leave me," Naruto chuckled. _Idiot_. Of course Sasuke could leave if he wanted to. He just… _really_ didn't want to.

XxX

He knew the living room from the countless minutes he'd spent sitting on a sofa, so he headed straight to the kitchen. He was too worried about Naruto last night to look at his surroundings properly when he was in there, and right now, he felt like he'd never been here before. The cupboards were painted a faded olive green and except for the white, round table, the kitchen had a vintage look. Sasuke liked it.

His stomach grumbled angrily to get fed. Ignoring it, he walked out of the kitchen, toward the staircase. The hallway continued next to it. He'd never walked there were more paintings hanging on the walls, a vanity-like table that held keys and envelopes. A door was opening to a small guest bathroom on his right. There was no point in looking at a bathroom so he kept pacing. On the end of the hall, there was only one, huge door, and it had a translucent glass that covered almost the half of it. He guessed it was the room that had a door opening to the patio.

He turned the doorknob. It was locked.

"Sasuke."

With a startle, he pivoted on his heel to see Naruto standing next to the staircase. His hair was still damp. "Is there something inside you don't want people to see?"

Naruto shoved his hands in his pockets. "No. I just don't like random people going in. You never know who will do what when you have a house party."

"Okay," Sasuke said. He pointed to the door with his thumb. "It's… special for you. In a way. Am I right?"

"How do you know?" Naruto looked at him, wearing a puzzled expression.

"We didn't use the patio door last night. It would've shortened the way."

Naruto pressed his lips together and lowered his head to look at the floor. "I guess I can't hide many things from you. But you're right, I don't go in often and not many people are welcome there."

Sasuke hoped he would be one of the welcomed ones. He wanted to know about Naruto's secrets and why the room was so special. He wanted to be _special_ for Naruto.

"Anyway, let's go eat." Naruto hid his sorrow with a grin and walked to Sasuke, pulling him from his hand and leading him to the kitchen. "You have a particular request?"

"Bacon. But I want them crispy." He followed Naruto. The touch of their hands seemed unnecessary, but he didn't really mind.

Once in the kitchen, he sat down on a chair and watched Naruto take out a package full of bacon and another one with sausage for himself. Naruto also took out a box of milk and some eggs.

"What's that for?"

"Pancakes, of course!"

Sasuke rested his arm on the back of the chair and snorted. "You sure you can handle them all?"

"I can handle them alright," Naruto haughtily answered. "Just wait until you eat. I make good bacon, but you'll fall in love with my sausage."

"Care to repeat that?" He chuckled rather loudly.

Naruto dropped the milk on the counter and his mouth opened in an embarrassed manner. "Oh."

"Go on. Don't mind me," Sasuke shrugged.

"Sorry. I didn't mean it like that," he found a plastic bowl and cracked in one of the eggs. Sasuke watched him skillfully whisk the ingredients.

"Did you talk to Kiba after I left?"

"I did. He said he's sorry."

"About bringing Neji into this?"

Naruto nodded. One of the dried, blond strands moved up and down as he did. "He knows he was being a dick the entire time. After what happened with Neji, he's overprotective about everything. It's ironic that he still invited Neji, though."

"What happened between you two? Temari said it wasn't a bad break-up."

"Not really." Sasuke realized Naruto already had two pans on the stove. "Neji is great. I liked hanging out with him. He was good in bed, too. But I guess," he turned around to regard Sasuke, "He and I never had what I have with you right now. It was never easy to tell him about my past, he never wanted to listen. He lives in St. Paul. Runs a family business. And I absolutely hate going there, so he had to come over every weekend and I could say he didn't like it."

"Sounds messed up," Sasuke commented.

"Yeah. He never knew what to do when I woke up crying in the middle of the night. I'm not mad at him for not making an effort. Not everyone can take it. In the end, I called it off and saved us both from a huge burden."

Sasuke sniffed the delicious smell of bacon. He was too busy listening to Naruto that he'd forgotten to watch what he was doing. Bacon was done, he was making pancakes now. "He didn't seem to like me that much."

"Heh, I wouldn't say so. You were pretty tense and shot daggers at him – don't deny it, I was there."

"You obviously are not aware of how nervous you were back there. I didn't know he was your ex and thought you didn't like him."

"And decided to get rid of the threat for me?" Naruto laughed out loud. "I appreciate your worry, but I can take care of myself." He turned off the gas and put the pancake plate on the table. "You can turn on the kettle if you want tea. I usually go for orange juice."

Sasuke left his seat to do as he was told. "How come you have an electric kettle and Itachi doesn't?"

"He had one. Until I forgot it didn't have any water in it and made it boil itself. The kitchen smelled horrid for almost two weeks."

"Idiot," Sasuke said silently.

"I'm gonna get some tomatoes from the garden."

"I like tomatoes," Sasuke announced.

"I know."

"How?" He folded his arms on his chest.

"Itachi told me," Naruto sniggered. Sasuke sighed. He had probably liked tomatoes when he was a kid too. Naruto gave him a thumbs up. "Don't start eatin' until I come back."

"Roger that," Sasuke sent a humorous salute to Naruto, who cracked up and couldn't leave for half a minute because he was too busy laughing while holding his stomach. Sasuke placed the forks and knives on the table. "It's not that funny."

"It was until you ruined it with your foul attitude."

"My attitude is not foul," Sasuke protested while he turned around and took the orange juice out of the fridge to pour into a tall glass. He tried taking a step forward, but Naruto had somehow sneakily approached him from behind and made Sasuke encounter the resistance of two strong arms.

"You're hot when you argue with me," Naruto murmured and softly kissed a random, but very sensitive spot on Sasuke's neck. It took all willpower Sasuke had to not shiver.

"Keep your hands to yourself." He reached out his arm and put the orange juice on the table, but Naruto still didn't let go. He tried pushing his arms away, but it was a futile fight. "Don't you have tomatoes to fetch?"

"You taste better," Naruto snickered. Suddenly, the arms disappeared, only to turn Sasuke around and reappear, hands on the fridge this time.

" _Naruto_." Sasuke felt the addicting lips latch onto his neck. Despite his best efforts, the jolt running down his spine when Naruto licked his skin caused him to quiver in Naruto's arms. "We can't do this. Not right now."

Naruto nibbled the skin, making Sasuke whimper, then licked the spot again to soothe it. "I don't know for how long I can hold myself back. You have to stop being so attractive."

"Says who," Sasuke breathed in the sweet scent of Naruto's shampoo. It was coconut. Naruto started sucking on his pulse, not caring about Sasuke's warning. It tore a loud groan from Sasuke's throat, and he could feel a tent starting to form in his pants. "Seriously. Stop."

With a disgruntled sound, Naruto's lips disconnected from his neck. His darkened orbs were filled with longing and a burning desire to ravish. Much to Sasuke's surprise, he pressed his lips gently on Sasuke's nose for a second before stepping back and rubbing the back of his neck. "Don't blame me. This is like putting a fuse and a match together and expecting them to not react."

"I don't blame you," Sasuke shook his head. He couldn't see if he was flushed, but his cheeks were burning. A weakening sensation began to take over his knees.

"Tomatoes," Naruto reminded himself with a murmur.

"Hurry up," Sasuke took a seat again. "I'm hungry."

Naruto smiled crookedly before leaving the kitchen.

xXx

The books on the patio table intrigued Sasuke. They all looked related with history one way or another. He recalled the book Naruto was reading when he'd brought him cookies was an old book, probably a historical one, too. He stared at the small pieces of tea leaves floating on the surface of his drink. "How did you realize you wanted to be a teacher?"

Naruto was taken aback by the question. He finished his second glass of orange juice and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I don't really remember. I always liked history and couldn't stop reading. After a while, I found myself wanting to teach other people about the glorious events and people too. Most wouldn't say that about wars, but I think if we all learn our lesson, we can prevent more from breaking out."

"Tsk. You're delusional," Sasuke shook his head. "You can't turn evil people into angels. As long as there are countries, there will be wars."

"Maybe. But think about it," he scooted closer to Sasuke on the large garden sofa. "If Adolf had a teacher who taught him every human is equal, what would happen? 'Cause you gotta admit, he was a genius."

"A genius who screwed with the entire world," Sasuke raised a brow.

"Yeah. He could've been an intermediary between angry leaders and dictators instead of being one himself. His logic could've made things much better, plus, he could save Germany from poverty too. Could've saved many lives. Instead, he opted to kill and innocent people died along with soldiers."

"So you're saying you want to raise awareness and possibly prevent a war?"

"Exactly!" Naruto beamed.

Sasuke chuckled under his breath. "Optimism is dripping from your words."

"I can at least live with myself now. Knowing I'm doing somethin' good for the world." Naruto took Sasuke's cold cup of tea from his hand and put it on the table, next to his own empty glass. "What about you? You always ask me questions but never tell me about yourself. What are your ambitions?"

"I…" Sasuke looked into Naruto's eyes. He was waiting for Sasuke to tell him with a childish eagerness, which made his eyes sparkle, and Sasuke felt upset that he couldn't come up with one single thing. "I don't know."

Naruto seemed genuinely surprised. "Ha? Not even one?"

"I guess I never thought about it," he hugged himself. A sudden wave of insecurity washed over him, one that he hadn't come across before. Listening to Naruto's ambitious speech had made him feel almost _sorry_ for himself.

"Okay. Let's see," Naruto reclined and gazed at the sky. "You studied architecture. I presume you wouldn't be able to if you didn't like it. I heard it's difficult."

"Tell me about it," he grimaced, remembering all the sleepless nights he'd spent working on projects. In the end, it was all in vein. "I don't hate it, but can't say I enjoy it too much."

"No. I bet you like it more than you realize."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Sure. Whatever you say."

Naruto stood up, taking the glasses in each hand. "Get up. We're going."

"Going where?" Sasuke started following Naruto. The sun in his eyes was making it hard to see the blond walking in front of him.

"Your room. Let me take these to the kitchen and I'll join you. Go take your sketching stuff out."

"I'm not going to." He stopped in his tracks when they entered the hallway again.

"Fine. I'll find them myself," Naruto disappeared out of his sight, then came out with his hands empty. "You're going to design me a skyscraper."

"What are you saying, you dimwit?" Sasuke's irritated voice echoed in the empty house.

"You heard me. Suck it up, princess."

With that, Naruto left the house, heading straight to Itachi's. Sasuke watched him walk with wary eyes before cursing under his breath and closing the door, starting to follow the idiotic blond.

10 minutes later, they were sitting at the desk and staring at a blank page of paper.

"Start already," Naruto nudged Sasuke, who was throwing daggers at the paper as if waiting for it to vaporize.

"You think people study for years so their stupid friends can force them to sketch a skyscraper in 5 minutes?"

"You can take as long as you like. Oh, wait. I'll tell you what kind of thing I want." He bit on his thumb while he pondered, and his eyes brightened with enthusiasm when he finally figured it out. "Here's the scenario: I'm a rich businessman and my office is on the top floor of a 100-story skyscraper. My hot, Mexican assistant Saskue's office is on the 99th floor."

Sasuke's brow twitched. "And?"

"Well, figure the rest out yourself. I want it modern and I wouldn't mind if it looked like a giant penis."

"You watch too much television," Sasuke sighed. This was never gonna work.

"You must be watching a lot too since you know the reference. Anyway, my hot assistant Saskue and I have office sex every day. That's all I can tell you. Go ahead and start!"

Sasuke let out a groan. "Your words didn't help me at all. And will I get paid?"

"Ugh. I don't have any cash with me," Naruto checked his pockets. It made sense that the idiot thought the price would be something that could be paid with loose change. "But I could pay you with something else?"

"No thanks," Sasuke took a sharpened pencil in his hand and looked at it hopelessly.

"Don't look so bummed out," Naruto leaned forward and planted a wet kiss on his cheek. "I'll watch you do it."

Sasuke wiped it with his sleeve and drew a line on the paper. "I hope I don't end up hating you for making me do this."

XxX

It had been hours since they'd spoken a word. Funnily enough, Naruto was still in the room. Sasuke had expected him to leave within the first two hours, but the blond was still here. Of course, watching what Sasuke was doing had lasted for only 10 minutes. After that, he'd explored Sasuke's closet (he had tried on the _Sorry, I'm Already Taken By A Super Hot Architect_ t-shirt and Sasuke definitely hadn't looked at him with the corner of his eye while he was changing), then had gone through Sasuke's drawers and despite how annoying it was, Sasuke hadn't said a word. He'd take it to Naruto bugging him with questions and remarks any day. He figured it would be especially irritating when he was trying to work on something.

Now, Naruto was laying on Sasuke's bed, listening to the songs on Sasuke's iPod. Sasuke was glad that he'd changed the sheets in the morning. Naruto had built himself a fortress out of pillows and was apparently having a good time by himself. Sasuke was almost done. He could've easily sketched a random skyscraper and get away with it, but being the anal person he was, he'd insisted on doing it properly, which included the math. Of course, it was still so very far away from a professional project, but he hoped Naruto would still like it.

"It's done," he called to Naruto.

"Hm?" Naruto lifted one of the pillows to look at Sasuke. "You said something?"

"Yes. Come and see."

Naruto got out of his pillow fortress and made his way to the desk. Sasuke watched his face brighten up with awe. "This is amazing," Naruto whispered. "Truly amazing." He didn't seem to care about the structure not looking like a penis.

"Not really. It's designed for your wild desires, which makes it far away from being amazing."

"But you've been working on this for hours. And you should've seen your face when you were concentrated. You may not realize this but I can tell, you love being an architect." He snatched the paper and walked to the window to see it better. Sasuke saw it was almost evening and sun was setting. The orange sunbeams cast the other man's shadow on the floor.

He didn't answer Naruto. He didn't think Naruto was entirely inaccurate, but it wasn't like he would love to work for a company and practically be a slave for years either.

"Can I keep this?" Naruto asked him.

"Hell no," Sasuke said as he started putting his stuff away.

"But—"

"No is no. You already forced me to do it, I'm not letting you keep that."

"Pfft. Fine," Naruto put it back on the desk and jumped the bed face-down, breaking down his fortress. "Sasuke is mean."

"No. Sasuke is putting up with you more than he has ever done with anybody. Appreciate it or leave."

Naruto snickered into one of the pillows. "Sasuke is cute."

"That is a huge, stinking lie," Sasuke smirked at him and sat down next to the blond's legs and squeezed Naruto's calf. "I'm getting hungry. We're here for who knows how many hours."

"Can I cook for you again?"

"I'm pretty sure it's not how it works," Sasuke murmured and started to massage Naruto's leg by squeezing. "By the way, _you're_ in my bed now."

Naruto groaned appreciatively at Sasuke's hand's movements. "So?"

"You know what I've done here last night. It's just… it would be nice to do other things. Preferably with you."

" _Sasuke_." Naruto sat up, his burning eyes looking sharp in the half-dark room. "Stop tempting me or God knows I will lose control."

"Tell me, Naruto," Sasuke crawled closer to Naruto, but keeping a safe distance between them. "Why do you want me so much?"

"Because." Naruto closed his eyes and exhaled.

"I want to hear a reason."

"You're… irresistible. I don't know, this is not just physical attraction. I like feeling your piercing eyes on me. I like it when you argue with me or call me names. I like how you look when you're asleep. I like how… you're my first friend."

Sasuke's eyes glazed over. "You think we have a special bond."

"You do too." Naruto reached a tentative hand and touched it to Sasuke's only for a second before pulling it away; like Sasuke was fire and he was afraid to get burned.

"I really do want to have sex with you," Sasuke said out of the blue. "I can't ignore how I feel about you. I want to give it a shot."

Naruto fumbled with the zipper of Sasuke's pillowcase. "I don't want you to ignore it. But I don't want to scare you away. You're not used to physical contact. You tensed up when we first hugged. And having sex is a much more advanced level."

"And I don't want you to get hurt by me. I don't want to hurt you in any way. How will we make this work?"

"We'll figure out a way," Naruto said, then smiled at him. Just a sincere, true smile, free of amusement.

"Hn," Sasuke grabbed Naruto's vaguely sweaty hand. The conversation was emotionally heavy, and it was the last thing he needed right now. "Come on. You're cooking for me."

"Damn right. I'll impress you once more with my skills," Naruto eagerly let Sasuke pull him out of the room.

xXx

Itachi had come home and joined them while Sasuke was making a salad.

"I can't believe you're talented about many things but can't cook," Naruto commented as he checked the oven to see if the fish were cooked yet.

"I never needed to learn. Had a mother who cooked for me, and I ate with co-workers while I worked."

"Hmm. Where did you learn to cook, Itachi?" Naruto asked.

Itachi, who was sitting and watching the boys take care of things with a proud smile on his face, made a thinking noise. "I think Kushina taught me. She knew I needed to take care of myself and that I would take care of you if needed."

"Ah. Should've figured. She was clever," Naruto commented.

Sasuke took out three bowls to put the salad in. "I expect you to teach me enough to feed myself if you're not planning to cook for me all the time, Naruto."

"Sure. I'm a good teacher," he winked at Sasuke.

"Sooo," Itachi drawled, tapping two fingers on the table. "Do you guys want to tell me what happened last night?"

Sasuke dropped the fork in his hand. Naruto turned off the oven without saying a word.

"Don't get me wrong. This is not an interrogation. I'm just… curious."

Naruto put his hands on his hips. "We don't know ourselves yet. We decided to see how it goes."

"I see," Itachi murmured. "Naruto. Are you sure you're ready for a new relationship?"

Naruto gnawed on his lower lip, averting his gaze.

"We don't call it a relationship yet," Sasuke explained. "We both need time."

"That's a wise decision," commented Itachi. "Let me do the rest. You two did enough."

Sasuke sat down on the spot Itachi abandoned and Naruto sat down on the chair next to him. The lost expression on Naruto's face confused Sasuke.

"Itachi," Naruto suddenly spoke, the confusion changing into determination.

"Yes?"

"…I think I am ready."

Itachi looked at Naruto, then Sasuke, and with a nod, turned around to continue placing the fish on their plates. "Thought so."

After eating washing the dishes together, Sasuke and Naruto decided to head back to Naruto's place to watch a movie. Itachi had a 'date' with Kimmel and was okay with them going. Sasuke had made sure to ask. He didn't want his brother to feel alone.

"I'm gonna go ahead and find the movie I wanted to show you," Naruto said. "Don't forget your toothbrush!"

"Hn."

"I'm going then. Bye, 'Tachi."

"Good night," Itachi ruffled Naruto's hair affectionately and closed the door. Sasuke quickly went to his room to get his stuff.

"I wasn't aware you're staying the night there," Itachi said, leaning against the door.

He looked at Itachi before going into the bathroom to get his toothbrush and toothpaste. "We'll probably watch more than one movie."

"Okay."

Sasuke put the rest of his stuff in a backpack: One pair of pajama pants, a t-shirt, and boxer-briefs. Just in case.

"Take this," Itachi approached him with a box in his hand. Sasuke took the box with interest and read the writings.

"Itachi," he said, then cleared his throat. "I don't think we'll need these tonight."

"Still, I want to make sure you guys are protected. Even if not tonight, you'll need them one day."

Sasuke stuffed them into the front pouch. "Thanks."

"Did you do this?"

He turned around and saw Itachi studying the skyscraper sketch he'd done for Naruto. "Uh-huh. Naruto insisted I'm wrong and actually want to be an architect with all my heart."

"Hmm." After scrutinizing the lines for a minute, he brushed the long bangs out of his face and faced Sasuke. "I'm afraid I have to agree with him."

"Maybe later. I've had enough lecture about my choice of career today."

Itachi chuckled. "Alright. _Have fun_."

With a kiss on Sasuke's forehead, Itachi left the room. Sasuke heard the sound of another door shutting and wondered what Itachi was thinking when he said 'have fun'.

He casually walked out and locked the front door. Once in front of it, he pushed the door open to Naruto's house without knocking. Naruto wouldn't hear him anyway since there were sounds coming from the living room.

He entered the room. Naruto was looking at the TV. "You started without me," he said with a frown.

Naruto paused the video with the remote in his hand. "No. I was just checking if it's the right one. My CD case gets mixed up sometimes."

Sasuke put his backpack on the sofa and kneeled next to Naruto, who was pushing buttons on the device. "I can't believe you still use a VCD player."

"It's nostalgic. And I have tons of CDs. Can't just throw them away." He got up with a sigh and started unplugging cables behind the TV.

"What are you doing?"

"We'll carry this upstairs. The sofa isn't comfortable when it's the two of us and I like my room better." He placed his hands on one side of the LED TV and raised his brows. "Need an invitation?"

Sasuke huffed but got up to help nonetheless. It was a medium-sized TV and wasn't very heavy so carrying it didn't take much time. After that, they went back downstairs and Naruto made them popcorn while Sasuke took out two bottles of beer out of the fridge and brought the VCD player along.

The blinds were already down, so they simply settled on the bed, beers and the big, plastic bowl of popcorn standing on a bed tray. Naruto pressed the play button and leaned back.

Sasuke recognized the movie the moment it started. "Really? We're watching Watership Down?"

"What? No—" Naruto made a disgruntled sound. "Shit. I put in the wrong CD."

"And you checked it downstairs," he shook his head, entertained. "Idiot."

"Hey, mistakes happen!" Naruto hopped off the bed to get the green CD case on the dresser.

"So what are we really watching?"

"Uh. It's called _The Tunnel_. A Korean movie," he fumbled with the case for almost a minute. Sasuke watched him do it while eating popcorn with one hand. Then, opened their beers.

"I thought you weren't drinking."

"C'mon, I didn't drink at all yesterday. I deserve a beer," Naruto exclaimed.

Sasuke shrugged. "Is it good? The movie? I haven't seen many Korean movies. I'm assuming there's a tunnel in it."

"You got that right. Must be the Uchiha genes," Naruto said amusedly as he climbed into the bed again. "There's this guy. The tunnel collapses on his car. That's all I will tell ya. I've seen it once. Pretty good movie."

"Okay." Sasuke drank some of his cold beer. The salty popcorn was making his throat dry.

Naruto started the movie (finally the right one) and turned off his bedside lamp for extra darkness. Sasuke focused on the screen instead of thinking about how their fingers brushed when they both reached for the popcorn at the same time.

XxX

It had been almost a minute since the movie had ended. They were both reading the credits pointlessly. Neither said a word until the screen went black and the room turned to a pitch black.

"I like it," Sasuke commented. He was practically laying down now, but Naruto was sitting, his back against the headboard and his knees drawn to his chest. Sasuke had taken off his jacket.

"Heh. I knew you would," Naruto said, a smile in his voice. He turned on the lights with a click and Sasuke sighed. He wasn't really tired, but he didn't think he wanted to watch another movie.

"I'd expected you to pick a more… passionate movie. How the wife was loyal to his husband until the very end was nice, but not quite what I thought."

"I do have romantic movies. Tons of them."

Sasuke threw him a knowing look.

"What can I say, I'm a sappy guy," Naruto said and lifted the tray to put it on the floor. Now they didn't have anything separating them.

"I bet you cried watching Titanic."

"I did," Naruto giggled. "But not when Jack died. I was still too busy thinking about how the ship cracked in half. And how the orchestra never stopped playing. And how selfish it was for people to not pick up the ones in the frigid water. Hundreds of people died there waiting for Carpathia to come and save them. Too bad it sunk during World War I. Maybe we could see it."

Sasuke snorted. "You seem to be more into the event itself rather than the love story."

"You could say that," Naruto nodded. "Anyway. What do you wanna do now? Another movie? You get to choose this one."

"How very generous of you." He put an arm over his eyes and breathed out. "I don't feel like watching anything now."

"Okay." He felt Naruto crawl closer from the way mattress dipped in. "Sasuke."

"Hm?"

"I was serious when I said I'm ready for a relationship." His voice was barely above a whisper. "But don't feel obliged. I can wait for you to decide whether you want one or not."

Sasuke raised his arm to grab Naruto's t-shirt loosely. When he opened his eyes, the look on Naruto's face made him want to kiss the man so badly. It was affectionate, loving, patient – but it held such an undertone of lust that couldn't be mistaken for anything else.

"Naruto," his voice cracked. "Kiss me."

And without waiting, pulled Naruto down on top of him, connecting their lips in a fierce kiss. Naruto didn't hesitate to respond with the same fire. Their lips moved on each other methodically. Naruto's tongue teased Sasuke's lips open, and with a whimper he couldn't believe that came from him, Sasuke let Naruto in his mouth. Their tongues clashed together.

"Mm," Naruto grabbed a fistful of Sasuke's hair as he straddled the raven. Sasuke was still holding onto the shirt, but let go to cup Naruto's face.

"You taste of salt," Sasuke spoke on Naruto's lips. With a breathy laugh, Naruto kissed Sasuke on the lips again before moving to his neck to continue what he had done in the morning.

"You know, Sasuke," he said huskily. "We can do things other than sex. We don't have to go all the way."

Sasuke's breath hitched. "What do you mean?"

Instead of answering with words, Naruto started sucking on his neck and ground their crotches together.

Sasuke gulped at how the simple act brought him pleasure. Naruto obviously had sensed it, because he started licking again, tugging Sasuke's shirt down to gain more access to the pale skin underneath.

As Naruto kept licking, nibbling and biting his skin, quiet moans started threatening to leave his throat. His arms were wound around Naruto, urging him to keep going. Naruto thrust his hips again, and this time, Sasuke felt a half-hard erection against his thigh.

Silently, he pushed Naruto away from himself to see his face. Naruto looked surprised.

"Naruto. Are you sure you want this?"

Naruto licked his lips and pressed them on Sasuke's firmly before pulling away. His hot breath hit the sensitive skin. "I want you, Sasuke. I want you so bad."

Sasuke felt the blood starting to pool down in his groin. He moved the muscles of his shoulders a bit to ease the sudden tension. "What if you regret it?"

"Trust me, I won't."

He meekly nodded to sign that he was okay with Naruto continuing. But Naruto kissed his temple, where the hairline started. His lips stayed there as he spoke. "You're tense. I can feel it."

"I'm fine," Sasuke fidgeted, although it was a bit hard to do with Naruto sitting on his hips. With his movement, he felt Naruto's cock again, which had surely gotten harder since the last contact.

"Let me touch you for a while. To help you get used to the feeling."

He hissed, irritated. "There's no need for that. I said I'm fine."

Naruto's hand suddenly sneaked under Sasuke's shirt to touch the muscles of his stomach. "See? You're not used to being touched."

Sasuke closed his eyes. This was harder than he'd thought.

Naruto didn't wait for Sasuke's permission to kiss his skin starting from his jaw, moving down to his neck and collarbone. Sasuke whimpered again. He didn't know what the blond would do to get him used to it, but Naruto was the experienced one, and Sasuke just decided to go along with what he was doing.

Naruto's warm hands started to move from Sasuke's hip. He tugged the shirt up and boldly ran his hands on the tense muscles underneath, leaving a burning sensation everywhere his touch reached.

Sasuke couldn't help but groan at how good it felt so have Naruto on top of him, touching him and kissing his skin. Naruto was being deliberately slow to get Sasuke used to the unfamiliar sensation, but Sasuke felt the tension grow and wanted it gone as soon as possible. His pale hand reached and held the tanned one on his stomach, moving it up further under his shirt, toward a nipple.

"Be patient, Sasuke," Naruto breathed out in his ear, his voice low and coated with a lewd tone. The warm air caused a shiver run down Sasuke's spine. Whatever disinterest his body had felt about sex before meeting this guy was already vaporized, and oh, he was so very glad.

Obviously, Naruto knew which spots on his body would feel good, which ones would make him go crazy with need and have his cock dripping; but he was being careful and gentle with Sasuke. He started to suck on the spot where his neck and shoulder met, letting out a frustrated groan when his cock came into contact with Sasuke's bulge again. His hands were still exploring on the smooth skin under his shirt. "You're still tense. Try to relax your muscles, princess."

And to prevent Sasuke from replying, he licked the spot he'd sucked enough to leave a bruise, then moved up and connected their lips together in a sloppy kiss.

Sasuke moaned loudly at the contact of their tongues, not being able to hold back any longer. His hands started pushing up the fabric of Naruto's t-shirt to touch the skin of the blond's back. Naruto sucked on his tongue, then his hand went flat on Sasuke's chest and one of his fingers started to circle around a tender nipple.

"Ngh!" he bit Naruto's bottom lip harshly. A simple grazing had made him react like this. What had he missed out on?

Naruto smiled into the kiss and parted them, licking the spot Sasuke had just bitten. "I'm gonna work on your chest a bit. Stop me if you start to feel uncomfortable."

Sasuke tersely nodded and closed his eyes. Naruto was treating him like he was a fragile doll. He had a feeling this wasn't what he really wanted, but he'd wait and see the result of this. Naruto knew what he was doing. Sasuke? Not really.

Naruto took his sweet time placing wet kisses down Sasuke's neck as he made his way down to the exposed skin of his belly. He tugged the shirt up over Sasuke's pale arms, throwing it aside so he could clearly see the whole chest area, and starting with small kisses and subtle bites, he started lavishing attention on the other man again. He occasionally licked the abs Sasuke was unintentionally straining, his left hand was still playing with the budding nipple. Not so gently, Naruto left one last bite on Sasuke's navel that earned him a loud groan and licked his way up to the nipple he was playing with. He closed his mouth around it without waiting, without permission, and _oh God_ , it felt fucking amazing.

"Naruto," Sasuke whimpered when he felt his cock go nearly fully hard. The other hand of Naruto was already close to it, softly caressing the skin of his thigh, and thinking about how dangerous it was to his erection, Sasuke felt like he had to stop Naruto. His heart was beating erratically in his chest. "Stop."

Naruto groaned and gave one last lick, but obeyed Sasuke's wish nonetheless. He moved Sasuke's legs apart and created a place to sit comfortably while he could still keep close. "Is it not good?"

"It is good. It felt good. I'm just…" he looked for the right words to say or something he could suggest to make both of them feel better and give him space to relax. "How about you too take off your shirt?"

Naruto started chewing on his lip thoughtfully. "You think that will make you feel better?"

"We'll never know if we don't try it. Besides, I don't think I want to be the only one half-naked."

"If you say so," Naruto spoke and stripped himself from the t-shirt in a hurry. The urge to touch his chest the way he'd done with him wasn't novel, but now that he had a real chance to, he knew it would feel brand new.

He indecisively reached out a hand. Naruto just watched him experimentally touch his defined abs with the tip of his fingers. His hard-on was strained in his boxers and was almost starting to hurt, but it had to wait. Plus, Naruto seemed to be in a lot worse condition.

"Get off me," he murmured. "I want to straddle you."

Naruto slowly moved and took a laying position on the bed. Sasuke sucked his bottom lip in, concentrated on not sitting right on top of Naruto's cock. He didn't want this to be over just yet. Honestly, Naruto's patience was surprising him. He figured any other man would have gone blind with lust by now.

"Ngh," Naruto moaned when Sasuke finally made himself comfortable on Naruto's hips. " _So good_."

The aroused sound leaving Naruto made Sasuke's cock twitch in his pants. Without wasting another second, he leaned down and closed his lips around one of the tanned nipples and flicked it with his tongue.

"Shit!" Naruto's back arched off the bed. His hips moved on their own account, making their erections touch. With that, Sasuke felt his need reach a desperate level. He was sure the front of his underwear was already damp and his cock pulsated whenever Naruto made a sound. The sexual tension was almost tangible. It had been building up for too long, and now it was setting their skin on fire.

"Let me," Naruto yanked Sasuke's head toward himself and connected their lips in an urgent kiss as he fumbled with Sasuke's zipper. Some of the pressure left when the button went undone.

Sasuke panted against Naruto's mouth and mirrored the action. He saw Naruto's eyes roll back when his hand brushed the rock hard flesh.

He raised his hips to let Naruto tug his jeans, and when Naruto did the same, he pulled Naruto's pants down and threw them aside. Now the only thing separating them was the thin fabric of their underwear.

Two hands grabbed his hips and Naruto started to thrust, creating a delicious friction with their cocks. Sasuke's mouth was dry, the heady feeling was blocking his brains and all he could do was to feel. Feel Naruto under him, feel their aching lengths rubbing against each other. It was breathtakingly good. Naruto looked beautiful under him.

"Sasuke," Naruto moaned again. His face was flushed and he was already out of breath. Sasuke looked down. He realized his own pale chest had red patches. He felt himself leak in his boxers.

"Naruto," he whimpered desperately. Naruto didn't need another word to pull Sasuke's boxers down to reveal his manhood. He gasped at the cold air hitting his sensitive flesh.

"Oh shit," Naruto closed his hand around the shaft and started pumping up and down. His hips were trying to move despite Sasuke's weight on them.

"Nggggh!"

Hearing how desperate Sasuke's voice sounded, Naruto let go of Sasuke to pull his own underwear down. They couldn't wait enough to get rid of them completely, leaving them hanging on their ankles. Sasuke licked his lips at the sight of Naruto's hardened cock. His fingers brushed the trimmed, blond hair on the base, then moved down to tease Naruto's balls. Touching another man's genitals should've felt awkward, but it didn't. Not with Naruto.

"Come here," Naruto pulled him down once more, his voice thick with need. Their tongues tangled around each other, faintly tasting the beer. Sasuke felt himself get close already, and they hadn't even done anything.

Their sweaty chests touched when Sasuke nuzzled the crook of Naruto's neck. He could smell Naruto's natural scent mixed with sweat; it made him feel light-headed, and he was comfortable in this position, so he started to thrust slowly. He couldn't stop himself even if he wanted to. The friction created with their cocks and stomachs was amazing.

"Yeah, just like that," Naruto made an approving sound. His hands were caressing Sasuke's back, moving down to his butt, groping the cheeks gently but firmly before moving up again. "Sasuke, sit up."

Sasuke barely heard Naruto. He was too lost in his own pleasure, but he still obeyed. Naruto reached for their erections and palmed the heads, smearing all the pre-cum pooled on top and started to pump again. They were in contact, and looking at their angry red cocks made another drop of pre-cum trickle down his shaft. Naruto's hands quickly turned it into a lubricant.

He felt the feeling from last night start coiling up in his stomach again. Somewhere along the line, he had relaxed his muscles. Naruto was staring at the cocks in his hands with glazed eyes as he quickened the speed. When he felt Sasuke's gaze on his face, he licked his lips and looked back. A bead of sweat dribbled down his temple.

"You're close," he whispered. "Your face is giving it away."

A thumb stroked his slit and Sasuke's eyes narrowed in pleasure. He threw his head back and after only seconds later, he came with a cry as one of Naruto's hands roamed over his bare, quivering thighs. He was barely conscious, then he heard a moan that didn't come from his throat and he looked down at Naruto. The blond was biting his lip and wildly jerking them off, white, thick streams of cum shooting onto his chest and hands.

"Jesus Christ," his breath came out harsh. "Sasuke. Oh, _Sasuke_!"

Hearing his name from Naruto mouth as the blond rode out his orgasm did weird things to him. His heartbeat had already started to slow down, but when he started kissing Naruto again, he found out a simple touch of the lips could make his head go dizzy.

When Naruto's hand stopped moving after milking them, it fell limply to the side. Sasuke could see how the cum-stained, sweaty chest was rising and falling quickly.

"How… how are you feeling?" Naruto uttered between taking deep breaths.

"Good," Sasuke answered. He lifted a leg to lay down next to Naruto.

"Only good?" Naruto chuckled throatily. "You looked stunning as you came."

Sasuke felt his face burn. "Shut up." He reached down and pulled his boxers up. Some of the cum was on his stomach too. They needed to clean up.

Naruto pouted, watching him with tired eyes. "You didn't ask me how I feel."

Sasuke smiled at him. "How do you feel, Naruto?"

"Amazing," he whispered in Sasuke's ear, then bit the shell of it.

"Mm." He liked how Naruto pressed light kisses on his ear and neck. He guessed Naruto's sappy stuff were rubbing off on him, too.

Naruto picked up his discarded t-shirt and wiped at Sasuke's stomach, then his own chest and belly. "I came so hard."

Sasuke sighed. "I didn't ask."

"Seeing you like that… Feeling your cock against mine… I'm surprised I didn't faint from the pleasure. You're so hot."

"Naruto," he fixed his gaze on the azure eyes that looked at him intently and ignored the previous comment – not that he didn't care, he just didn't know how to answer. "Thank you for being so gentle with me. I know it took a lot of restraint to take it this slow. When I say slow, I mean what we did. Our decision to take things slow in general is certainly unsuccessful."

"Be glad that I could hold myself back till tonight," Naruto murmured. His eyes roamed over Sasuke's features before he continued. "I've been wanting to do that since day one."

One of Sasuke's brows arched. "I'm pretty sure you didn't like me as much that day."

"Ah. I was confused and hadn't slept much the night before. Think about it: I'm asked to show a guy around, and I see he's this gorgeous-looking man with an attitude. Then I learn he's a very close friend's brother. And he turns out to be my childhood friend too. And all things aside, I feel content when I'm with you. Almost peaceful without my memories haunting me. I think about all these and… then you go ahead and tell me you're asexual. Boom! All hopes shattered."

"I wasn't aware of these," he rolled over and put his chin on Naruto's shoulder.

"Of course you weren't," Naruto smiled. A sigh escaped his kiss red lips. "We should sleep now. I don't think I can take another one of these heavy conversations today. Unless you wanna do some more stuff? I would be up for that," his brows wiggled.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I think that's enough for today."

"Okay," he turned the lights off, then wound an arm around Sasuke, caressing the spot his thumb touched.

Sasuke fidgeted. "You're very huggy."

"Pointing out the obvious," Naruto whispered. "G'night, Sasuke."

He offered a smile that went unseen in the dark. "Good night, Naruto."

The only thing on his mind as he drifted away was how warm and contented he felt in Naruto's arms, his head was against a warm chest, the only thing his ears heard was the distant sound of a heartbeat. His 4-year-old self would never have guessed things would turn out like this. But it was fine. For the first time in years – maybe since his childhood, he wasn't worried about anything. He didn't think he needed to worry if things were gonna go like this with Naruto. If this man could make his empty heart flutter and make him happy without even trying, Sasuke was ready to spend the rest of his days with him.


	12. Going Through Changes

Something was touching his neck. Something warm and wet. It licked on a spot continuously for several minutes until Sasuke decided it wasn't a dream and someone really was licking him.

"What the hell are you doing?" He groaned. His voice was thick from having just woken up.

"I didn't think you're a light sleeper," Naruto whispered.

"Well, I am. Aren't you ashamed of molesting me in my sleep?"

He waited for Naruto to answer, but the blond didn't. His eyes opened and he felt the frustration go away when he saw the innocent and sad expression on Naruto's face.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his brows furrowed in concern.

"…Nothing. Just a bad dream. I'm fine."

"Naruto. You can tell me about it," he murmured and reached out to the lamp on his left to turn it on and see him better. The one on Naruto's side was already on, but his back was facing the light so it was kind of hard to interpret his facial expressions.

"Nah. I'd rather not," he shook his head and pulled away from Sasuke's side, drawing his knees to his chest. Sasuke remembered this as something Naruto did when he felt insecure. But there was nothing to be insecure about; they were here, and Sasuke was ready to listen to Naruto's nightmares.

With a sigh, Sasuke levered himself up on an elbow, unsure. He didn't know if he should force the words out of Naruto's mouth or leave him be. After all, even though he believed Naruto trusted him, this was a sensitive topic. He wanted to help Naruto, not cause him to break down and making him even sadder. "Hmm," he hummed. His eyes found their bodies. Their lack of clothing was… interesting. He had his boxers on, and Naruto had a sheet around his hips, so they weren't really nude. It was like they were going swimming, but then again, Sasuke didn't like to swim.

Naruto bit on his lip. "Sorry. I interrupted your sleep. You want me to leave the room so you can continue?"

"Stop saying ridiculous things," Sasuke snorted, finding this exasperating. Did Naruto really think Sasuke would want him gone just for the sake of getting some sleep? He wanted to scold Naruto. But it was obvious he wasn't in the right state of mind.

"Right. Sorry."

"Stop saying sorry." He sat up while trying to suppress a long yawn, but he failed. Naruto looked at him, half-amused. The corner of Sasuke's lips twitched. "Is there anything I can do for you? Do you want some tea or coffee?"

Naruto looked down and his hold around the sheet tightened. "You don't have to do anything."

"I know I don't have to. But I want to," he crossed his legs. "So tell me if you want tea or not."

"Actually a cup of tea would be nice. But umm," he pointed to the bathroom door. "You might wanna take a quick shower first. Y'know, hygiene and stuff. After what happened last night."

"Good point." He stood up, then remembered his backpack was still downstairs.

"You can borrow some of my clothes."

It was like Naruto could read his mind. He let a throaty chuckle leave his throat. "Thanks."

"There should be towels in the cupboard inside the bathroom." He fidgeted in bed. "Can I ask for one more thing?"

Sasuke stopped walking to look at him. "What is it?"

"Can you… give me a hug?"

He felt one of his heartstrings snap. This was the same man who had passionately kissed Sasuke last night, who was reckless, shameless – yet here he was, asking for a hug like a little kid. Almost scared.

"Y-you don't have to," Naruto continued. His voice cracked.

Sasuke stopped looking at him like a deer caught in the headlights and rushed his way to Naruto's side of the bed, sitting down on the edge and drawing the man closer. He wrapped his arms around Naruto's naked waist. "I'm here for you," he whispered in his ear. "And. You don't have to ask if you can hug me. Remember?"

Naruto nodded to Sasuke's shoulder and hugged back. Their chests came into contact. He could feel how fast Naruto's heart was beating through his ribcage.

"Idiot," he squeezed him one more time before pulling away slightly. "I won't take long, okay?"

"Okay," Naruto sniffled. His gaze found Sasuke's lips and he blinked before slowly leaning forward and gingerly pressing his lips to Sasuke's for a couple of seconds.

Sasuke smiled into the kiss. When he opened his eyes, Naruto was smiling too. "It's nice to see your eagerness to take the initiative is back."

Naruto's smile widened. "Thank you, Sasuke. Now go and shower. I want my tea."

"Tsk. Immature," he rolled his eyes and headed straight to the bathroom this time. His ears stopped hearing the suppressed giggling only when he closed the door behind him.

The bathroom wasn't exactly big, but it was more than enough for one person. He figured two could easily fit in the shower, too.

He took a leak, then turned the water on to let it warm as he pulled off his boxers. There wasn't a hamper around, so he awkwardly folded and put them on the floor to take care of later.

He stood in front of the sink to take a look at himself. He looked pretty much the same as any other day except for the slightly messier hair and indistinct hickeys on his neck. A hand ghosted over them, trying to determine if he liked them or not. They didn't look bad, but they didn't look aesthetically great either. The contrast with his pale skin was okay. He shrugged.

The water was nice and warm against his back once he got in the shower and slid the doors closed. He felt the sweat wash off his skin. Reaching for the shampoo bottle, he quickly squeezed some into his palm and rubbed his scalp, rinsing it afterward. The whole room smelled like coconuts now, which reminded Sasuke of Naruto.

He quickly rubbed his body with the shower gel. Naruto either had an obsession with coconuts or he had bought them when they were discounted. Sasuke wanted to believe the latter.

Just like Naruto had told him, there were clean towels in the cupboard next to the shower. He grabbed a larger one and dried off, then wrapped it around his waist while the smaller one went around his neck. He felt refreshed and relaxed, ready to help Naruto relax too.

He turned the doorknob and pushed. The steam rushed out of the bathroom as he walked out and gave a smirk to Naruto. Much to his surprise, the blond had already put some clothes for him on the bed.

"How thoughtful of you," he commented.

"I just didn't want you to struggle. My wardrobe's a mess right now."

"Great." Sasuke shook his head with distaste. "You could've organized it today instead of messing up mine."

He reached for the white boxer-briefs and dropped the towel. Naruto's gaze was on him.

"I have orange ones too," he grinned as his eyes roamed over Sasuke's body like he'd never seen it before.

"Over my dead body." He quickly pulled on the gray pajama pants and the white, basic t-shirt.

"I'm gonna shower too," Naruto yawned tiredly. "I want my tea prepared by the time I'm out."

"You're pushing it."

"You wanna punish me?"

Sasuke didn't bother answering. He squeezed the excessive water out of his hair with the small towel, then threw it at Naruto. "You want black?"

Naruto caught the towel before it hit his chest and put it aside as he stood up, the sheet falling down. Sasuke turned his head. "Uhh, no. Rosehip. Should be some in the box."

"Okay," he started walking to the door. "I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

The house was dark if you didn't count the pale moonlight reaching in from the gaps between the blinds, and the curtains weren't drawn in the kitchen, saving Sasuke from the pain of turning on the lights and causing his eyes to water. He remembered to check if the kettle was full before turning the switch on and taking two mugs from the shelf to put the tea bags in.

Naruto kept teabags in a metal box. Sasuke found one rosehip and one black tea and tore the packages open, putting the bags in mugs with ease and sat down. The kettle was making noises as the water started to heat up.

Did Naruto spend many nights like this; alone, drinking tea in the kitchen -or his bedroom, it didn't really matter- and trying to stop the nasty thoughts from eating his brain? How difficult was it to shove the bad feeling down? Sasuke had no idea.

Compared to Naruto, he'd had a pretty quiet life. Both in high school and college, he'd had good grades, he was respected and he had the looks. Sure, friendships or relationships in general weren't his strong suit and he'd always felt bad about not knowing his real parents, but in general, he hadn't suffered like Naruto did. After coming here, he'd realized the feeling he'd felt all his life, the one he couldn't name, was emptiness. The lack of a close friend whom he could open up to or a family member he would want to be there for.

Itachi and Naruto were the ones he'd been missing all this time without even knowing. And he sure as hell wasn't going to let them down.

The sound of the boiling water distracted him from his thoughts. He got up and grabbed the handle, pouring them into each mug before placing it back down on the counter and starting to bounce the bags, holding the strings with his fingers.

"Hey."

He turned around to see Naruto standing there with only pajama pants and no shirt. If he weren't mistaken, the blond liked to sleep with his chest bare. "Hey. You're faster than I expected."

"Didn't want you to be alone," Naruto shrugged. Sasuke caught himself watching the way the muscles of his shoulders moved. A bead of water dropped from the tip of his hair and glided down, touching a nipple, then disappearing when it reached the waistband of Naruto's pants.

"I just put the water in. They should brew for a while," he murmured.

"Hm." Naruto walked to his side. Their arms brushed. "Do you wanna sit here or go back to the bedroom?"

"Whichever you want. If you'll feel better here, we can stay."

Naruto silently leaned forward and put his forehead on Sasuke's shoulder. His hot breath made goosebumps break out on Sasuke's arms. "I feel weak when you treat me like this."

"…Like what?" He asked. He was keeping his shoulder absolutely still to not startle Naruto because the blond looked kind of lost in his own world right now despite still communicating.

"Like I'm someone you really, really care about. Like you don't want me to hurt."

"Naruto," Sasuke whispered with a frown. "I do care about you."

"I know," he lifted his head and wrapped his arms around Sasuke. This time, his chin was resting on Sasuke's shoulder. "I feel grateful."

"You helped me when I was feeling down. I want to help you too."

"I did it because I like to help you. I didn't wanna see you sad," he nuzzled his neck, breathing in deeply. Sasuke closed his eyes. The intimacy felt comforting. "Are you doing this just because you feel like you owe me?"

"No," Sasuke shook his and freed his arm from Naruto's grip to hug the blond. "I really do want it."

Naruto briefly nodded and tightened his embrace. "How does it feel like? To be this close to someone?"

"Peaceful, I guess," Sasuke answered. He buried his face in the damp locks of Naruto's hair and hummed silently as his left hand started tracing lines on Naruto's skin. "Tea's getting cold."

"Yeah," Naruto approved, but didn't pull back. Sasuke eventually had to let go of him to see his face. Naruto looked much younger when he had this small smile tugging on his lips, his eyes a clear blue and twinkling. "See? You're huggy too."

Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets to prevent himself from fidgeting. He felt nervous without a reason. "I'm not. You started it."

"Are you saying you didn't like it?"

"I said no such thing." He worried on his lip like he expected something to happen. Naruto kept his gaze fixed on his eyes.

"I know where we'll drink," he said after a minute of silence. Reaching for his mug, he put two cubes of sugar in it and beckoned Sasuke to follow him. Sasuke did without protest.

They strolled out of the kitchen in an understanding silence. Naruto stopped midway and put his mug on the vanity next to the bathroom door, then opened one of the drawers and fumbled in, closing it when he found a key. Sasuke's eyes drew to the large door at the end of the hallway in anticipation.

Naruto grabbed his mug again and walked until there were only a couple of inches between him and the door. He pushed the key in the lock and turned it without hesitation. Sasuke stopped watching how the pajama pants rode low on Naruto's hips when he heard the click indicating the door was open.

The room was pitch dark, but somehow Naruto knew his way. Sasuke stood at the threshold and tried to see something. A second later, he heard the scratchy sound of the curtains getting pulled, and the moonlight filled the room. Naruto turned around and shrugged at him, flopping on the brown couch of the seating group.

"Close the door," he told Sasuke.

Sasuke nodded and closed it behind himself as he looked around. This was the biggest room in the house by far; the wallpaper was the same as the hallway and the floor was covered with a soft carpet. It felt fluffy against Sasuke's bare feet as he walked around in curiosity, sipping his tea. Two patio doors were made of glass, giving the room a luminous effect even at night. He sighed and pushed the back of the wooden rocking chair by the window with a hand. It started to rock without an occupant.

He touched the furniture covered with a cloth. It was against the wall, and there was no way he could know what was under it with the way it was hidden, but he knew. "It's a piano, isn't it?"

"Uh-huh. You can uncover it."

He pulled the cloth, letting it fall to the ground, and the black Yamaha piano was revealed. It was shining and free of dust.

"I assume you've been here before," Naruto said. "I remember coming here all the time with mom. If we really were inseparable, then you must have spent a good amount of time here too."

Sasuke's fingers brushed the smooth surface of the piano. The fallboard was down so Sasuke couldn't see the keyboard, but it wasn't like he knew how to play anyway. Maybe Naruto did, even if just a bit. He'd mentioned running away when his mother tried to teach him. Yet, there was a possibility he learned how to play after the death of Kushina.

In silence, Sasuke paced toward Naruto and sat down right next to him. The sides of their thighs brushed. "Is there a particular reason why this room is special to you?"

Naruto's brows furrowed like he was thinking. "I'm not sure. It just is."

"Okay." Sasuke finished his lukewarm tea without prying further. Naruto was watching the backyard through the doors, his eyes slightly hooded.

"Tell me about your life before you came here," Naruto blurted out of the blue. His voice was hushed but carried interest. Sasuke could easily understand Naruto really wanted to know.

"There's not much to tell," he put his empty mug somewhere on the floor. "It was boring. Ordinary."

"I wanna know."

He inhaled deeply, hoping the oxygen could help him remember at least one or two interesting things. "There was this bookstore I visited every Friday after my shift."

Naruto nodded him to continue.

"I believe it's… the emotional connection with a person or a place that keeps you visiting there. You, for instance, said you find this room special. You come here when you're down and want to be alone; when you need to find some peace of mind. My special place was that bookstore. It became a ritual after a while, but the point is, I liked being there. I liked one of the employees. He was a nice person."

"What was his name?"

"Juugo. He was still in college when we met. He wasn't shy, but he was extremely introverted and distant. Now that I think about it, it's probably why we got along so well."

"You're not distant," Naruto muttered. "Not with me."

"No." Sasuke offered something that could be counted as a small smile. "We would discuss books and art. I think he was the closest friend I've ever had before you."

"Technically, it's after me, but I get it." Naruto tugged Sasuke from his arm and pushed Sasuke's head to his chest, his fingers finding a home in Sasuke's slightly moist hair and playing with it.

Sasuke fidgeted in Naruto's arms. "What are you doing?"

"Hugging you."

"You can't just pull me in for a hug whenever you feel like it," Sasuke protested, but he made no move to get away.

"You don't seem to detest it," Naruto said. "Who else?"

"Hn," Sasuke sighed in content. The side of his face touched Naruto's skin and Naruto was warm. Really warm. He knew that after what they had done yesterday, touching Naruto like this, being this close to him would be interpreted as something more than mere comforting, but he didn't really care. Only they existed in this room. He didn't need to worry about others. "There was Ino. My colleague."

"What was she like?" Naruto murmured with a dreamy voice.

"Cheerful. Very social, like you. I think you'd like her."

"Maybe you can invite her sometime. I'd like to meet her."

Sasuke hummed, it wasn't exactly approving, but it didn't sound like disapproval either. His eyes found Naruto's navel, and without thinking, he brushed his fingers over the bare skin. Naruto shuddered at the touch. Sasuke ignored it and moved his fingers up, then pressed his hand flat on Naruto's stomach. If that was possible, Naruto seemed to heat up even more. A soft hiss was heard when his fingers started circling around a nipple.

He watched the soft nub bud and grow hard. On a whim, he shifted so he faced Naruto's chest, and his lips found the other nipple. He left a series of soft kisses on it, watching Naruto's face with the corner of his eye and keeping the circular movement of his other hand going. When he heard a whimper, he darted his tongue out and licked at it just to see how Naruto would react.

"Sasuke," Naruto warned, his gravelly voice giving away how difficult it was for him to restrain himself. "Not here."

He wasn't one to push it, especially now that he didn't know what was going through Naruto's mind. He was here to help Naruto forget about the bad dream he'd had. Sasuke figured this could be a perfect way to help him forget about it, but if Naruto said no, it was a no.

Propping his hand on the back of the couch, he pulled back and took the sitting position again. Naruto's eyes were calculating, trying to make a decision. Sasuke opted to watch the shadows in the room instead of watching Naruto's uncertainty.

"You're fucking beautiful," Naruto said with a whisper. "I don't know what I've done to deserve this – how you're here with me, but God, I don't want it to end."

Sasuke eyed the carpet, unable to utter a single word. Naruto wasn't afraid to let him know about how much he appreciated having him by his side. Sasuke felt the same. He believed actions spoke louder than words, but it was kind of difficult to show it in his petrified state.

But Naruto seemed to understand, or he was simply being kind by not talking about it. He kissed Sasuke's cheek softly and took his hand in his. "Let's go to bed. My eyes are growin' tired."

"Okay. Sure."

Dazed, he let Naruto lead him out of the door. His friend let go of his hand only when he had to lock the door again. As Naruto placed the key back to its place, Sasuke took the mug out of his hand and went to the kitchen and threw the bags away, placing the mugs in the sink and returning to the hallway to meet Naruto. With a gesture of his hand, Naruto told him to go first. Sasuke didn't question it, but he didn't oblige either.

"What are ya waitin' for?" Naruto muttered.

"…I'll get my backpack. You go ahead."

Naruto shrugged nonchalantly. "Fine."

He turned around and headed to the living room to retrieve his bag. He didn't know why he was suddenly thinking they would need the condoms. He'd barely let Naruto touch him because he was so nervous. Sex was off the table for a while, or it should be, but he wanted to have these upstairs. Just in case.

Naruto was sprawled out on the bed when he got in the room. He put the bag on a chair and got into the bed, suddenly feeling a bit chilly.

"You needed somethin'?"

"No," he answered truthfully. "Itachi gave me a box of condoms."

Naruto rolled to his side to face Sasuke. He wore a frown.

"We don't have to do it yet. It's just… precaution." Sasuke said.

"It's still too early for that," Naruto mumbled. "You've had your first sexual experience last night. Sex is too much for now."

"I know." He couldn't help but feel irritated. He knew it was early. He knew he wasn't ready. There was no point in shoving it in his face.

"Don't look mad," Naruto smiled. "You know I want it. But you have to wait. It's just a matter of time."

"I'm 23, Naruto. I don't think I want to wait."

"C'mere," Naruto pulled his hand and put it on his chest, then covered it with his own hand. "You feel how fast my heart's beatin'?"

Sasuke nodded.

"It's 'cause you're here, in my bed," he cheekily grinned.

"Hn," Sasuke pulled his hand from Naruto's grip and rolled in the bed. Their faces were against each other. "You still didn't tell me about your dream."

The grin faded into a sorrowful expression with a hint of insecurity. Sasuke didn't like to see the insecure side of Naruto – not because he found it weak, but because he didn't want Naruto to feel that way. He was sure Naruto wasn't comfortable with other people when it came to his problems, and it was flattering that he shared most with Sasuke, but still. He wanted to know all of them.

"You really wanna know?" Naruto's voice cracked.

"I do," Sasuke whispered. "Was it about your parents?"

"No," Naruto fidgeted a bit, took a deep breath and tried to relax. "It was about you."

"Me?"

Naruto started chewing on his lip. "Are you sure you wanna hear this?"

It was just a dream. It wasn't real. He didn't mind hearing it, even if it was a bad one. "Yes."

Rolling back to his own side, Naruto put an arm over his eyes. "We were in the bed– you mind if

I cover my eyes like this?"

"No. Go on," Sasuke encouraged.

"We were in the bed, just after we, uh, humped. I was happy that you agreed to cuddle, then the scene changed and we were on a street, you were telling me that you've finally figured out you're gay. You waved goodbye and another man came to your side. You two walked away. Hand in hand."

Sasuke tried to catch a change of expression on Naruto's face. It was Naruto's eyes that always betrayed his emotions, but now that they were covered, Sasuke was clueless. "Is that so?"

"Yeah."

Sasuke crawled on Naruto with ease, standing on all fours above the other man. Naruto didn't budge. Sasuke grabbed his wrist and uncovered his eyes. "Do you think I'm using you to figure out my sexuality?"

Naruto tried moving his arm again, but Sasuke pinned it down. "Not really, no," he replied, his voice hoarse. His eyes showed fear. There was no guarantee that he thought of Sasuke like that, but it was obvious he was affected by the dream.

"Good," Sasuke said. "I'm not attracted to other men, Naruto. It's only you."

"I know," Naruto tried to get up in discomfort. "I need some air."

Sasuke pinned him down again. Naruto looked away to hide the tears pooling in his eyes, which didn't go unnoticed by Sasuke. "Do you really want me to let you go?"

Naruto's brows furrowed. "…No."

This was enough for Sasuke to press his lips to Naruto's, almost in a comforting manner, but the way Naruto moaned at it gave away nothing but anger. Maybe it was just his anger for the Sasuke in his dream for using him, but next thing he knew, Sasuke was pulled down by two possessive hands, their bodies coming in contact as Sasuke tilted his head and their mouths opened fiercely to deepen the kiss. They kissed sensually for several minutes, enjoying the closeness.

Naruto's frenzied grasp found Sasuke's wrist and he pulled it to his chest, making Sasuke's fingers touch his nipple. "Do it like earlier," he panted over Sasuke's mouth. His blue eyes were dark with mixed emotions and lust.

Sasuke was more than happy to circle his finger around the nipple. It budded and hardened under his touch very quickly, and after leaving a last kiss on Naruto's mouth, he started licking the other nipple. He scraped his teeth over it, sucked it; then gave the same treatment to the other one. A hand was tangled in his hair, gently tugging and playing with his hair.

Naruto was trying to hold back the sounds, but whenever one escaped, Sasuke's heart skipped a beat. He didn't have much experience, but Naruto reacted so strongly to everything he did. He moved up to Naruto's neck, licked a stripe and started sucking on the beating pulse.

"Mmm," Naruto's hand rubbed his side, motivating him to keep going. His knee found a place between Naruto's legs and he gently pushed it upward.

"Fuck," the blond groaned. Sasuke looked at his lust filled eyes, drowning in them. "Please, Sasuke. Touch me."

This time, Sasuke didn't need to be led. His hand found the clear outline of the growing bulge in Naruto's pants and started to rub it. "Can I take it off?"

"Yes. Absolutely."

He pulled the waistband down. It wouldn't be inaccurate to say he wasn't surprised to find out Naruto had gone commando. "Tsk."

"Take them off," Naruto started kicking around to get rid of the pants, and succeeded. Naruto took a moment to eye Naruto's naked body. He hadn't had much time nor the patience to do this last night.

"You look good naked," he commented.

Naruto licked his lips suggestively. "Same could be said about you. It's a shame you have clothes on."

"Indeed," he crawled next to Naruto to give him a kiss. His hand found Naruto's cock and he wrapped his fingers around the shaft. With slow but sure movements, he started to pump the turgid erection, trying to get used to having someone else in his hand.

Naruto's fingers enclosed around his own to show him how he liked it. "Do it like this."

Sasuke hummed, tightening his grip just a little bit and twisting his hand when he reached the head.

"Fuck," Naruto started to buck up into his hand. "That feels so fuckin' good."

"Let's see what I can do to make it even better then."

Naruto cast Sasuke a confused glance. Sasuke just smirked, pinching one of Naruto's nipples before settling between his legs and lowering himself. His stomach met the cold sheets.

"Sasuke. You don't have to do that," Naruto whispered and brushed Sasuke's bangs aside, gingerly tucking them behind his ear. "This is more than enough for me."

"Just shut up and let me figure out how to do this."

Naruto's eyes glazed with excitement. "Umm. It's pretty simple actually, as long as you don't use your teeth and—"

Sasuke licked the tip of Naruto's cock, which shut him up instantly, leaving the sound to a soft moan. A small bead of pre-cum appeared on it as Sasuke kept pumping and touching around, carefully studying each reaction. His other hand found Naruto's balls, fondling them. He had a pretty good guess about what would feel good. Women probably had a difficult time doing this because they couldn't empathize, so he was lucky.

When he saw Naruto's eyes fluttering closed, he licked the tip again, this time tasting the pre-cum. It didn't quite taste like anything he'd ever tasted before. It was bittersweet – but it had a masculine aroma. His tongue found the base of the vein and started licking up. Naruto's hips shuddered faintly.

He pushed the legs apart further to gain better access to Naruto's genitalia. He brushed the perineum area with his index finger to see if it would get him a reaction. Naruto seemed to be very sensitive because his every touch earned him a shudder or a harsh exhale.

"Enough exploring," Naruto said between taking ragged breaths.

"Fair enough." He twirled his wet tongue around the head and after giving the tip one last lick, opened his mouth and took the head into his mouth. A long, deep groan rose from Naruto. It made Sasuke's own cock twitch in his pants, but he focused on making Naruto feel good. He started to suckle on it, trying to not touch his teeth to the flesh. Naruto's hands found his hair again.

As he felt himself adjusting to the feeling of a cock in his mouth (which was harder than it looked), he gradually started to take more of it into his mouth. Naruto's hips were trying to move on their own account if it weren't for Sasuke's hands holding them still. He felt himself run out of breath when the half was in, and with a plop, pulled away to breathe, a string of saliva still connecting his lips and Naruto's cock. Naruto's eyes opened to see what was going on.

"Ah. Don't force yourself if you—"

"I just need to breathe, idiot," Sasuke panted. "You're very responsive."

Naruto chuckled. "I can't help. It feels so damn good to have your hot mouth on my cock."

Sasuke kissed Naruto's thigh before taking him into his mouth again, this time, doing it more easily. He remembered to breathe as he sucked and watched Naruto clutch the sheets with pleasure.

It occurred him to use his tongue when Naruto started to thrust again. It was the best occurrence he'd ever had for a while. The responses were amazing.

"Shit, Sasuke! I'm close."

Sasuke hummed around Naruto. Naruto's eyes were shut tight, and after only seconds later, Naruto pulled Sasuke's hair for him to let his cock out of his mouth. Sasuke wasn't sure if swallowing on his first experience was the smart thing, so he let go, letting Naruto draw him in for a kiss. Naruto's hand snaked between them.

"Don't touch yourself," Sasuke slapped it away and wrapped his own fingers around Naruto's cock again. "I want to do it."

Naruto barely nodded, and he knitted his brows, his face showing great pleasure. After a few fast strokes, Sasuke leaned forward and whispered in his ear.

"Come for me."

Like Sasuke had turned on a switch with his words, Naruto came that second with a loud cry. Sasuke didn't even need to pump faster since Naruto was wildly thrusting into his hand, white jets spurting out. He watched Naruto bite his lip with the intensity of his orgasm.

When Naruto relaxed in the bed, Sasuke let go of his softening cock and looked around for anything to wipe his hands on.

"Let me get a washcloth," Naruto sat up. His breathing was still uneven. Sasuke shoved his chest in disapproval.

"I'll do it. You wait."

Without letting Naruto say anything, he entered the bathroom and washed his hands with soap. There were a couple of washcloths in the cupboard like he'd guessed. He picked one and soaked it under warm water, then squeezed it and made his way back to Naruto.

He felt eyes watching him as he gently wiped the cum on Naruto's stomach and his cock. When

he was done, he returned to the bathroom and put the cloth in the sink.

Despite Naruto's protest, he helped him wear his pajamas back on. He turned the lights off and crawled into the bed, pulling the covers over them. His eyes were really tired by now. After all, it was still really early in the morning and they hadn't gotten enough sleep.

"Sasuke."

He tilted his head to hear what Naruto had to say. He couldn't see him now that it was completely dark, but his presence was enough. "What is it?"

"Let me take you out on a date tomorrow."

"Where did that come from?"

"If we're gonna do this, I wanna do it properly."

He thought about it. He'd been to dates before, just a bunch of people, though. It had always ended up with a kiss on the cheek and the other person saying they'd had a good time. Sasuke usually got really bored, and he figured his dates were all liars when none of them called back after that day.

But Naruto was different. He really enjoyed spending time with him, and now that he was absolutely sure there was an attraction, saying 'no' would be stupid.

He knew Naruto wouldn't take 'no' for an answer anyway.

"Okay," he mumbled. "I'll go on a date with you."

"Thanks." Naruto snuggled closer to him. The body heat radiating from his body warmed Sasuke up, his heart more than his body.

…

Sasuke felt the obnoxious sound of the doorbell fill his ears and ring in his brain, forcing him to wake up. He was not fond of waking up early, and he'd gone to bed really late, so all he wanted to do was to kill that person and go back to his sleep. He groaned, ready to burst.

"I'll get it," he heard Naruto yawn. The bed dipped in and a second later, Naruto was gone and Sasuke was already drifting back to his precious sleep.

After what felt like hours to him, he woke up with the movement of the mattress again. The blinds were up now. He put the pillow over his face and tried to fall asleep again.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" Naruto called to him.

Sasuke stayed motionless.

"I said WAKE UP!" He jumped on top of Sasuke and lifted the pillow, throwing it aside. Sasuke made a disgruntled noise and tried to cover his face, but Naruto started to tickle him.

"Stop," he tried to suppress his laughter and slapped Naruto's hands away.

"Not until you promise to get up. It's a beautiful day!"

"Get off me."

"No."

Sasuke sighed. "What time is it?"

"Almost 11," Naruto cheered. "Stop being a hypocrite. You said I shouldn't sleep in yesterday and now you're doing the same."

"That's because you didn't have someone keeping you up," Sasuke opened his eyes to see Naruto's expression. Naruto was… ridiculously happy. He'd already dressed up, styled his hair (if you could call running a hand through it styling) and looked ready to seize the day.

Sasuke wanted to sleep.

But he also wanted to get up, so he could spend time with Naruto.

"Who was at the door?" He asked when Naruto raised a questioning brow at his stare.

"Oh. It was just Kiba," he got off Sasuke and laid down next to him. "They were planning to visit Sakura's grandparents today. They live in Owatonna. But she got a flat tire and they need a lift."

"You never hear me ring the doorbell," he complained. "You're going to drive them?"

"Yeah. 'Cause I'm such a good friend," he beamed at Sasuke. "He said they'll leave in 2 hours. We can go out today. Have breakfast."

"I thought you were taking me out on a date."

Naruto nodded. "I am."

"Going out twice a day will only make the date less special."

"Nah. Wait-" he raised himself on his elbow. "You just want me to make you breakfast again, don't you?"

"You caught me," Sasuke raised his hands up. Naruto took hold of them, pinning down, and straddled Sasuke's stomach.

"Hmm. Maybe I wanna eat somethin' a little more different," he breathed out on Sasuke's mouth before connecting their lips in a soft kiss. Sasuke sighed, kissing back. He freed his hands from Naruto's grip to touch Naruto's chest.

"You taste like tomatoes," Sasuke mumbled.

"I might have eaten one."

"Without me?" He feigned offense.

"There's plenty more for you downstairs. But you can eat only if you say somethin' nice to me."

"Now you're just fishing for compliments."

He smiled. "True."

"You have a beautiful smile," Sasuke muttered.

"That doesn't count. I'm quite sure I've told you that before."

"You're also an idiot."

"It's not a compliment!" Naruto pouted.

Sasuke chuckled deeply, pulled Naruto down from his collar and kissed his stuck out bottom lip. "You're cute."

Like a kid who received a candy, Naruto started to beam from ear to ear. "I am, aren't I?"

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have tomatoes to eat." He pushed Naruto off and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"I'll get some from the garden. You dress up." Naruto kissed the back of Sasuke's ear, then jumped off the bed, walking out of the room with his hands in his pockets.

Sasuke watched him leave and close the door behind him, and with a yawn, stood up to find his toothbrush.

They had an hour and a half to kill after they ate Naruto's delicious tomato and basil omelet. Sasuke was amazed at how Naruto used the spices to give the meal a touch of his own and succeeded at that. He licked his lips again, the taste lingering in his mouth, and nudged Naruto to pivot so they could get the TV through the living room door.

"Why do we even bring this here when I'm probably gonna carry it upstairs again once you're gone?" Naruto complained.

"I can entertain you much better than these." He threw a (hopefully) sexy look at Naruto.

Naruto lost his grip on the TV for a brief second. "Stop distracting me!"

Sasuke scoffed. They walked to the TV unit and placed the TV carefully on top. Naruto bent over to plug the cables in the outlets.

"You have a nice ass," Sasuke smirked. The view from his spot was pretty good.

"I know," Naruto regarded him with the corner of his eye. Sasuke grabbed the remote from the coffee table and turned it on when Naruto was done plugging.

"I hope you don't have documentary channels only."

"Nah. I'm not that big of a nerd," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, smiling apologetically.

"Hn."

"I really am not!" Naruto pouted, lolling on the sofa. Sasuke sat on the other end and started flipping through channels. There was International House Hunters, and he was not going to watch it. Everybody knew it's for old women.

"I have porn channels," Naruto exclaimed. "We can watch one of them if you want."

"No thanks," Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Naruto scooted a bit closer. "Have you ever watched porn? At all?"

"I have. A couple of times in high school. And the other day."

"What for?"

"To figure out what was okay to do with you. You told me touching was teasing."

Naruto looked at him with wide eyes. Sasuke thought he was gonna say something, but instead, Naruto ended up cracking up so hard that Sasuke could swear he saw tears in his eyes. "That is the stupidest thing I've heard in my ENTIRE LIFE!" He kept laughing, his face going red.

"Which part of this is amusing?" Sasuke crossed his arms, frowning. "I was confused."

"I know, I know," Naruto wiped his eyes and leaned forward to peck Sasuke's cheek. "I appreciate the effort. I really do. It's just… How the hell did you think you could figure out somethin' like that through porn?" A smile was still lingering on his lips.

"I don't know, okay?" He fidgeted for a bit. His eyes were on the TV. Somehow, he'd left it on MTV and Coldplay's Hymn For The Weekend was on.

"Oh, Coldplay!"

Sasuke raised an unimpressed brow. "You like them?"

"Hell yeah," Naruto leaned back.

"I'd leave this house in a second if I didn't like you too much. Count your blessings."

"You don't like Coldplay?" Naruto asked with an unbelieving manner.

"I hate Coldplay."

"Why?!" Naruto cried. "Everybody loves Coldplay! Are you saying that 'cause it's cool to hate Coldplay?"

"No, Naruto," Sasuke wrinkled his nose. "I genuinely hate Coldplay."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Now you're just being like that lame, emo guy on Never Mind the Buzzcocks."

"You mean Noel Fielding? He's much cooler than Coldplay, I assure you."

"Yeah, right. Why do you watch British TV shows anyway?"

"Juugo was British. Why do you watch them?"

Naruto made a stupid face. "Because they're fun?"

Sasuke clicked his tongue and changed the channel. This one had a cheap soap opera on. He shrugged.

"Do you wanna go to a restaurant or a café tonight?"

"Whichever works," he offered a nod. "I'm not picky as long as they have high hygiene standards."

"I'll be sure to remember that."

Sasuke didn't have anything else to say. He paid attention to the screen, trying to figure out what was going on. The man was having an affair with the maid, and his wife was having an affair with a rich businessman. He wanted to roll his eyes until they could see his brain. There was no way people enjoyed watching this unless they had a double digit IQ.

Naruto's hot breath ghosted over his neck. His head was resting on Sasuke's shoulder, his hair tickling the sensitive skin.

"I can't wait for our date. You've been to dates before, right?"

"A couple of times, yeah," Sasuke murmured.

"You enjoyed any of 'em?"

"I recall two could be categorized as 'not boring to death', but I wasn't terribly entertained either."

Naruto snickered. "I'll show you how a good date is. I'll blow your mind."

"I'd be pleased if you suggested blowing things other than my mind too," he pinched Naruto's arm.

"Hmmm," Naruto's hand brushed his thigh. "I would love to."

They leaned in at the same time for a kiss. Their lips brushed softly, teasingly before they opened their mouths and two tongues met. Sasuke held onto Naruto's shoulders and sucked Naruto's tongue into his mouth.

"We should slow down," Naruto whispered. "Or I won't be able to wait until the evening."

"Okay," Sasuke smiled, planted a last kiss to Naruto's lips and pulled back.


	13. Hands Down

Naruto had left 10 minutes ago to drive Kiba and Sakura, and Sasuke was afraid of getting a sunburn so he decided to head home rather than sit in Naruto's backyard for longer. When he pushed the door open, he realized Itachi was still home. He checked his memory. It wasn't a holiday and it certainly wasn't the weekend.

"Itachi?" He called out his brother's name.

A door opened on his left, across the living room door. He hadn't been there before – he hadn't had much time or a wish to discover the whole house, but when Itachi stepped out wearing casual clothes and glasses, he made a quick guess that it was his study. "Sasuke. I wasn't expecting you this morning."

"Naruto had something to take care of. I see you're working from home today," he made a gesture with his hand, pointing at Itachi's glasses.

"Ah, yes," Itachi nodded. "I figured I could use a day off."

"Hn." He felt an awkward tension between them.

Itachi cleared his throat. "So, have you guys…?"

Sasuke couldn't help but smirk at Itachi's curiosity. Of course, the guy had right to be. He didn't mind. "No. Naruto thinks it's still early for that."

"Don't you?"

Leaning on the wall, Sasuke folded his arms over his chest. "Maybe. The thing is," he let out a soft sigh, "I don't mind going at this pace. I trust Naruto, he seems like he knows what he's doing, but I'm still not used to getting intimate."

A dark eyebrow arched at his words. "You have proof of that?"

"Maybe," he felt himself get flustered, even if just a bit. "Eventually, we just went with the flow. And I guess we're still doing it. It worked out until now."

"I see he's sucked you into his own way of making things work," Itachi chuckled. "Well, little brother, I believe you remember my words. I support you both and am ready to help whenever you need."

"Thanks," Sasuke answered. He felt grateful for having a brother as great as Itachi. "He's taking me out on a date tonight."

"A date?" Itachi walked toward Sasuke. "That's cute."

Sasuke snorted. "You could come up with something better."

"But that's what describes you two best. My cute brothers."

"Brothers?"

"Don't think too much," Itachi sighed and lightly poked Sasuke's forehead before turning around and walking back into the room. "I have to finish this. We can do something together after I'm done."

"Sure. Take your time," Sasuke said. He rubbed his upper arm with the palm of his hand. This date thing was… exciting. And if they were doing it properly, he wanted to make sure everything went smooth.

And in order to do that, he had to make a call now.

XxX

Sasuke sat on the bed, his phone -which hadn't been used much in the past two weeks- was in his hand. He chose the contact he wanted to call. The line beeped only two times before it was picked up.

" _Sasuke! What a surprise! I haven't heard from you in ages except for a few texts and I was worried—"_

"Hey, Ino," Sasuke sighed. No matter how tiring her habit of talking really fast when she got excited was, he felt happy to hear her voice fill his ear. True, they hadn't contacted much. It was partially Sasuke's fault, but he was busy, and he figured Ino wasn't calling because she thought Sasuke needed time to spend alone with his brother. Because when she wanted to, she could be very clingy.

" _Hi, sorry_ ," she chuckled. " _How's it goin'_?"

"Good, actually. Sorry for worrying you."

" _It's totally fine! I was just curious, 'cause you know, you're not the most social person I know and you're all the way over there in Minnesota without a single acquainted soul. But you do sound good. Tell me everything! How's your brother like - what was his name again?"_

"Itachi. He's pretty cool. We get along."

" _That's it?"_ She made a disappointed sound _. "You said he's a mayor, right? Do you two spend enough time? It's important to bond. After all, you've been apart for years."_

"I think we do, yes." He laid down and set his hand on his stomach. Ino sounded like Naruto about the bondingpart. Speaking of. "Ino."

" _What is it? Please don't tell me you want to come back. I know you need time but you should—"_

"Stop jumping to conclusions. I don't want to come back. Not yet."

" _Then what?"_

"…Can I ask you something?"

" _You're starting to worry me. Wait, I'm gonna close the door,"_ Sasuke waited for her cue to continue. " _Okay. What's up? Everything okay?"_

"Yes. There's just…" He shut his eyes tight. Telling someone else about this felt weird. "I need advice. I'm going out on a date tonight."

" _WHAT?!"_

"Stop yelling in my ear," he gritted his teeth. "You heard me."

" _You – the Sasuke Uchiha I know. Has a date and he asks for advice? You actually care? Who's this person? I want every single detail!"_

He rolled over to his side. "It's a bit complicated. He's my childhood friend and current neighbor. Itachi and he grew up together."

" _And it's a he? Wow."_

"…Ino?" He was worried for a moment because he'd been expecting her to squeal and scream, but she was taking it quite well.

" _Yeah. Sorry. Kinda zoned out for a minute. I'm just… surprised is all. You must care about this guy if you're going this far to even ask for my 's his name?"_

"I do," he murmured. "Naruto. He's a lot like you, cheerful, talkative. He's a good person." He opted to keep other stuff to himself. The parts Naruto had only shown him. They were special, and they were meant to stay that way.

" _Your exact opposite_." She giggled. " _Okay, let's start with some info. How close are you two now? Friends? Or did he ask you out when he saw you with Itachi?"_

Crap. That was going to be tough to explain. "Neither. Look, I can't really tell how close we are but… a lot closer than 'just friends'."

" _Huh? What? You guys kissed already?"_

"Kissed. And we've done some other stuff."

Silence.

Sasuke fidgeted on the bed uncomfortably. "Ino?"

" _That's a bit shocking, but I can live with that,"_ Ino spoke, her voice lower than before _. "I've never seen you into someone before. And sexually? I would think the world was ending, but you sound so sincere. This Naruto must be extraordinary. Don't tell me I can't, because I certainly will, come there and see him for myself when I have a couple of days off."_

"I wouldn't be opposed," he smiled to himself. Ino wasn't freaking out, she wasn't telling him that this is stupid. She was just being supportive despite her shocked state. Sasuke appreciated that. "Back on the subject. I'm comfortable with him so I wasn't going to ask about how to act, but is there anything particular I should be aware of? He wants to do at least this properly. We've… moved a bit too fast."

" _I was thinking the same thing," she hummed. "Hm. If you two are already close, I don't think there's anything you should be concerned about. And I don't know him in person, so, it wouldn't be right to judge him, but," she paused for a second. "If you're as close as you say, and I assume he's had boyfriends – or girlfriends before, he might expect the night to end with… something even further."_

"He thinks I'm not ready."

" _Does he? Well, he's probably right."_

" _So you're saying I shouldn't suggest anything?"_

" _You're a grown man, Sasuke. If you… feel like you… you know. Want to do it. You should try initiating. He sounds like a thoughtful person, but all men are the same in core. I bet he's just holding back."_

"I got that impression too. He—"

" _Oh, I gotta go. My shift starts. Some of us have to work," she laughed awkwardly. "Sorry about the interruption. Text me if you have any more questions, 'kay?"_

"Sure. Thanks for helping out, and you're welcome here if you want to visit."

" _Aww, you're being nice! Say 'thanks' to Naruto for me for turning you into a nice person. Good luck on your date!"_

Sasuke chuckled. "Thanks. I will."

He hung up, feeling about a hundred times better about this than he'd ever had. Not caring about what other people thought was something he told himself, and he still didn't care enough to change his mind, but knowing that people actually were okay felt nice. Also, talking to someone from his previous life had calmed his nerves. After all, he was aware he'd been missing Ino. Thanks to Itachi and Naruto, he had gotten used to living here a lot faster than he'd thought he would, but there was still a need to connect his life in San Fransisco with the one in here. And Ino was a great person – not someone he would call his best friend, but if he thought about it, Ino _was_ the closest friend he'd had back then.

He heard knocking on his door, then the door opened. "Sasuke?"

"Come in," he spoke.

"Am I interrupting something?" Itachi walked in, his eyes on the phone in Sasuke's hand.

"No." He put the phone on the side table and got up. "I was just talking to an old friend."

"Oh." Itachi looked down. He looked like he wanted to ask more about this friend, but he was reluctant to do so.

Sasuke decided to explain to quench Itachi's curiosity. "Ino is working at Macy's. We used to work together. She's nice, cheerful. Kind of like Naruto."

He earned a nod from Itachi. "I thought you didn't have many friends, but I'm happy that you do have ones you still can talk to."

"Hn," Sasuke raked a hand through his hair. "What's the plan?"

"We can watch a movie, play video games, or if you have anything else in mind."

"Video games sounds—"

The doorbell interrupted Sasuke's words. They looked at each other.

"It can't be Naruto. He should already be gone."

"Let us see who it is, then." Itachi headed downstairs, Sasuke following him. The doorbell rang once more before Itachi got a chance to open the door.

"Hey!"

Sasuke raised a brow. There were a woman and a man. She had purple hair, and it suited her really well -something Sasuke hadn't seen before- and the man was a ginger, their arms linked.

"Konan. Yahiko. What a surprise," Itachi greeted them. Sasuke couldn't see his face, but he could hear a clear smile in his voice. He recalled these two as Itachi's long-time friends.

"We thought you'd be at work?" Yahiko chuckled.

"Not today," Itachi shook his head. "Come in."

He opened the door fully to let them in, the action revealing Sasuke's presence. He could swear he saw Konan's eyes sparkle when their gazes met.

"Sasuke!" She bolted toward him and pulled him into a crushing hug. "Oh. My. God. You have grown so much!"

Barely able to breathe, Sasuke could only nod. He didn't really know these people, so it was odd to be hugged, but Itachi seemed amused, his arm resting on Yahiko's shoulder.

Konan finally pulled back to look at him once more. "Wow. You're really handsome. Look at that jawline."

"Konan. I'm still here, you know," Yahiko warned.

"I know, I know. But look at him. He's so sweet!"

Itachi chuckled. "I think you should stop mortifying him now. He's not a kid anymore."

"Ugh. Yeah, sorry."

Sasuke took a breath to make his brain function. The tight squeeze had prevented his veins from making the blood reach up there for sure. "It's fine."

"I'm not a freak," she explained with a blush on her cheeks. "I just get excited easily is all. Let me start over. Hi, I'm Konan." She reached her hand for Sasuke to shake. Sasuke did.

A low, amused chuckle rose from Sasuke's throat. "I'm Sasuke. Nice to meet you." They let go.

Konan brushed her purple bangs aside and pointed at Yahiko. "This is Yahiko. My husband."

Yahiko stepped forward and they shook hands too. "My, you really have grown up. But don't worry, I'm not willing to test it by squeezing the life out of you."

"That would be appreciated. No offense," he looked at Konan, who shook her head.

"Are we going stand here all day?" Itachi closed the door and led them to the living room. "So what brought you guys here?"

"We wanted to see Sasuke!" Konan answered, leaning back on the couch. She was sitting next to Yahiko while Sasuke and Itachi sat together on the other couch.

"And not me?" Itachi faked offense, pouting his lips. Sasuke wanted to laugh. He'd never seen his brother like this before, carefree and just enjoying his friends' company.

"Of course, you too," Yahiko said. "But mostly Sasuke."

Sasuke put a hand on Itachi's knee and squeezed. Itachi just smiled at him before standing up. "The usual?"

"Yeah. But without sugar. I'm on a diet."

Yahiko made a bored face. "I told you already. You don't need to lose weight."

"Sasuke, you want coffee?" Itachi asked.

"No, thanks," he shook his head. Naruto had said he'd text when he was back, and they would get ready. He checked the time on his phone. Owatonna shouldn't be that far away, so Naruto was probably close.

"So, Sasuke," Yahiko spoke. "How's life going? We know pretty much nothing about you."

"I know pretty much nothing about you, too," he shrugged. "Other than that Itachi likes you very much. He looks happy that you two are here."

"I was gonna say the same thing about you," Konan chimed in. "He denies, but he gets lonely. I can see it. Naruto can't be with him every night."

"They are close, though."

"They grew up together. It's only natural." Yahiko scratched his cheek. His dark brown eyes filled with sadness. "I wish you were here too."

" _Yahiko_ ," Konan nudged him. "Don't say stuff like that."

Sasuke forced a smile. "It's alright."

The door of the kitchen opened and Itachi came in with a tray. He put it on the coffee table for everyone to take their mugs. "Pink one's yours, Konan."

"Thank you!" She said gratefully.

Itachi sat down and the conversation started again, but after a while of watching them interact, Sasuke zoned out. He was thinking about Ino's words and how tonight would go, then when his phone vibrated in his pocket, he slightly jumped.

"What's wrong?" Itachi asked.

"Nothing. I spaced out," he muttered as he took his phone out. It was Naruto.

' _i'll be at your door in half an hour. start gettin ready for me ;) xoxo'_

He rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. ' _Dork.'_

When nobody spoke, he realized they were all watching him. He fought the creeping blush and stood up. "Sorry. I have this… date."

"Oh?" Konan's eyes widened with interest. "Who's the lucky girl?"

Sasuke blinked in confusion. Itachi was quick to act; he cleared his throat and put his empty mug back on the tray. "It's not a girl."

"Oh? That's even more interesting," she offered a sly smirk, only for Yahiko to scoot an inch away from her. "Who's the lucky boy?"

"…Naruto," he replied. Konan's smirk faltered, but a moment later, it turned into a full grin.

"Amazing! You two were so cute together! Wait—have you guys gotten acquainted again just in two weeks?"

"I guess."

"Hmm," she fidgeted, then all of a sudden, got up and pinched Sasuke's cheeks. "Sorry! I've been wanting to do that since I saw you in the hallway."

Sasuke wasn't exactly a fan of it, but Konan seemed like a nice person and she really didn't seem to do it with bad intentions, so he just smiled and headed upstairs without further ado.

xXx

He put on his navy blue slacks, light blue shirt, dark brown boots and a matching jacket after a quick shower. There should be a blow dryer somewhere, but he wasn't sure where so he just dried his hair off with a towel as much as he could and put some hair product on. After all, he was trying to look good.

As he washed his hands, he heard the doorbell. It was surely Naruto, but he figured he could leave it to Itachi. He checked his pockets to make sure he had all the necessary things with him. Sounds of talking were heard from downstairs, and just when he decided to look at himself one last time in the mirror, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in," he invited. He was adjusting the spikes of his hair when Naruto came in and immediately closed the door behind himself, leaning on it.

"H-hey."

Sasuke stole a glance at his date. "Hey."

"…Hey," Naruto repeated. In the mirror, he looked at Naruto. He was wearing a shirt in a soft shade of pink, blue jeans that hugged his thighs and a black blazer. He was also wearing a blue tie that didn't go unnoticed by Sasuke. His hair didn't look much different than how it always did, but it was obvious he'd at least put some effort into it. The blush on his cheeks proved he was just flustered by the sight of Sasuke, and it was the reason he was repeating things and having trouble processing.

He pivoted on his heel and started walking to Naruto. "I think I'm ready to go."

"O-okay," Naruto nodded. His eyes studied Sasuke from head to toe. "You look good."

"You don't look bad yourself," he smirked.

"I really wanna kiss you."

"Save it for later." He pressed his index finger on Naruto's lips when Naruto leaned in despite his words.

Changing the subject could work. Not that he didn't want Naruto to kiss him, he just thought it would be nice to not kiss for a while. That way, it really would feel like a date. "Where are you taking me?"

"Umm. There's this restaurant in Minneapolis I like. I read reviews on the internet and called them to ask if they're hygienic enough."

Naruto stepped aside to let Sasuke open the door. Sasuke was sort of amazed that Naruto really did care about his words, even when he hadn't thought much about them. Yes, he didn't want to eat in a restaurant that was infamous for being unhygienic, like the ones in Hell's Kitchen, but he was also sure none of the small restaurants cared about hygiene _that_ much. Still, he was satisfied that Naruto cared about his priorities. "Okay," he simply said. "I trust your judgment."

"You better do," Naruto grinned. His flustered state was leaving its place to his normal cheeky behavior. He, without asking, reached for Sasuke's hand and intertwined their fingers.

There was no need to pull away, so Sasuke let it be. They walked down the stairs and suddenly, all eyes were on them.

"You two look amazing," Konan made a thumbs up. "Have fun."

"Thanks," Sasuke smiled and Naruto squeezed his hand.

"Well then. We're off. It was nice seeing you again," Naruto waved with his free hand, urging Sasuke to do the same, and started pulling Sasuke toward the front door. "Bye!"

"Bye," they all said in unison. Sasuke looked in Itachi's way like he was in need for a 'good luck'. Itachi smirked, and with his eyes full of affection, winked.

Everything was gonna be alright.

XxX

"Here we are," Naruto exclaimed and stopped the engine. He'd said that he'd asked Itachi if he could use the car in the garage when Sasuke was upstairs. Sasuke appreciated they weren't here with Naruto's orange -and ridiculous- car.

Sasuke opened the door and got out. Naruto caught up with him as they walked out of the parking lot to enter the restaurant.

The place didn't look expensive, but it still looked nice. It was probably the best Naruto could find while not spending all savings he had. Sasuke wasn't sure if Naruto was going to pay, or if they were going to share. Going Dutch would work too. He shook his head to forget about it. He would just ask Naruto when it was time to pay.

He waited as Naruto talked to a waiter. The man nodded, and Naruto beckoned Sasuke to follow. He took his hands out of his pockets and they made their way to their table. It was next to a wall, a more isolated area where they could talk without getting bothered by other customers.

Sasuke made a move to pull his chair in order to sit down, but Naruto moved quicker, doing it for him. Sasuke felt a blush form on his cheeks as he muttered a silent thanks and sat down.

"I don't lack any manners," he grinned and took his seat.

Sasuke smirked. "I can see that."

Naruto picked up the menus the waiter had left on the table and gave one to Sasuke. "Hmm. I wonder what we should eat."

Eyeing the pages, Sasuke started chewing on his lip. There were many options, but his nervousness was starting to show up and he didn't feel like eating anything too heavy.

"Do you like steak? Their steak is good. We can get some wine too."

"Sure," Sasuke approved. He was just glad to get away from choosing.

Naruto put the menu down. "Are you okay? You look dazed. And your cheeks are flushed."

"Yes. Is it a bit too hot in here?" He fanned himself with the menu, looking around to avert his gaze from Naruto's.

"Take your jacket off then," Naruto suggested. Sasuke looked at him for a brief moment before nodding and complying. He hung it on the back of his chair.

They were silently sitting until the waiter returned to take their orders. Naruto did the talking. Sasuke fidgeted in his seat in discomfort. There wasn't a real reason to be nervous, but there was something nagging him, and he didn't know what it was.

"Sasuke."

He looked at Naruto, who reached for his hand on the table and closed his own on it. The gesture made Sasuke's heart skip a beat in his chest, and it was clear all of a sudden. He just wasn't used to being in public with someone he was attracted to. Especially here in Minneapolis, he wasn't sure how people would react to two males holding hands.

"Tell me," Naruto urged. His eyes were full of concern.

Sasuke took a breath and put his other hand on Naruto's. "Is this really okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"Not everybody's okay with _this_ ," he looked at their hands. "What if we come across someone like that?"

Naruto sighed disappointedly and pulled his hands away from Sasuke's, hiding them under the table. "You could've just told me if you don't want to be seen with another male."

"What?" Sasuke hissed. "That's not what I meant."

"Then what?"

"I don't want people to say mean things or attack you in any way."

"I can deal with them. It's not like it's never happened before."

"Naruto. You're misunderstanding me."

Naruto shot him a glare, then looked down, folding his arms. "I don't care about what people think. There will always be someone who won't approve. I'm livin' my own life, not them."

Sasuke watched Naruto's facial features harden with determination. "You're right. I'm sorry for saying that."

"No – I get it, you're worried. But it's gonna be fine." He gave Sasuke a lop-sided, forced smile.

"Okay," Sasuke smiled back to not ruin their night, and put the back of his hand on the table, a sign that he wanted Naruto to hold it. Naruto did it without hesitation.

The waiter chose that moment to bring their wines. He opened the bottle and poured some in their glasses, and left the bottle on the table before leaving. They picked their glasses up.

"What are we toasting to?" Sasuke asked.

"To life?"

"To life," Sasuke raised his glass.

"L'chaim! L'chaim, l'chaim, to life!" Naruto sniggered as he clinked their glasses and took a drink.

"You're the biggest nerd I've ever seen," Sasuke shook his head.

"And you've only seen the tip of the iceberg," Naruto propped his arm on the table and placed his chin on his palm. "I have glasses at home, too. Are you sure you can handle me?"

"I can handle you alright," Sasuke said. "I am a patient person."

"We'll see," he fluttered his lashes in an attempt to look cute, but ended up looking stupid.

Just when Sasuke opened his mouth to retort, the waiter returned with their steaks so he didn't say anything. The meal on their plates really looked delicious, but if Sasuke had to choose, he would prefer Naruto cooking it for him.

"Thank you," he said to the waiter, who bowed before leaving.

"What do you wanna do after this?"

"I don't know. You know the place better than I do," Sasuke started cutting his steak.

Naruto was already chewing. "There's a plaza nearby. We can walk there. You can see Capella Tower from there too. Maybe you'd like it. I'll buy you ice cream."

"Sounds good." He brought the fork to his mouth, tentatively biting on the meat. It was spicy, but not too much. "This is good."

"I know, right?" Naruto sipped his wine. "I tried making it before. There's always something missin'. One of the spices, I guess. I wonder what they use."

"Hn." He swallowed. "I spoke with Ino today. She says hi."

"Really?" Naruto smiled. "What did you tell her about me?"

"Other than that you're incredibly clingy?"

"I'm not clingy!"

"And touchy-feely."

"Pfft," Naruto pouted. "Now she'll think I'm a perv."

"You _are_ a perv," Sasuke chuckled. "I told her that you're good."

"What is good about me? My ass?" He wiggled his eyebrows immaturely.

"That too," Sasuke rolled his eyes. "But I preferred to keep that part to myself."

"Possessive, I see," Naruto grinned. "You want desert or are you fine with just ice cream?"

"No, thanks," Sasuke wiped his mouth. His hand automatically went to his pocket to pull out his wallet when Naruto asked the waiter for the check, but Naruto stopped him.

"You're not paying."

"Why?"

"Because you're _my_ date." He held Sasuke's hand again and kissed the back of it.

"Well, I can't protest when you're being charming like this," he murmured with a sly smirk.

"Damn right."

After Naruto paid and Sasuke put his jacket on, they walked out of the restaurant. The air was slightly chilly now. Naruto might be used to it, but Sasuke still wasn't fully adjusted to the climate. They walked for a couple of blocks in a content silence.

"What do you usually do with your dates?" Sasuke asked to make conversation.

Naruto seemed to think about it for a moment. "It depends on my date. Maybe go see a movie? Talk over coffee?"

"What about me? What else would you like to do if it weren't for this?"

"To be honest, I'm fine with anything," he answered. "I enjoy spending time with you. The place is irrelevant."

"Hn."

"You think… if this goes on between us… you think you can take me to California one day?"

Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets to stop the slight shiver and glanced at Naruto. "Maybe. Why do you want to go?"

"To see the ocean!" Naruto cheered. "I've never seen an ocean before. Or a sea. I grew up here and never really left North."

"I grew up seeing the ocean. It's not that spectacular."

"But you're saying that because you're so used to it," Naruto lightly bumped their shoulders. "You want what you don't have."

"You may be accurate," Sasuke nodded.

"Ah. Here's the ice cream place."

Sasuke thought ice cream wasn't the ideal thing to eat when he was cold, so he nudged Naruto, who was intently watching the flavors and trying to pick out what flavors he wanted.

"Huh?" Naruto turned around.

"I'm kinda cold," he exclaimed. "But you go ahead and buy for yourself."

"Oh. How about coffee?"

"I could use some," he shrugged.

"Okay. Hey, your nose is red!" He giggled and pressed the tip of his index finger on Sasuke's nose. "I didn't know it's Red Nose Day."

"You have an awful sense of humor, you know that?" He slapped Naruto's hand away and looked at the ice cream stand. They had a wide range of flavors. Naruto, of course, would choose the weirdest ones.

"Yeah. I know. I think I want kiwi, mango and… strawberry."

Sasuke took a deep breath as they walked into the store to order the ice cream and Sasuke's coffee. Naruto was quick to pay for both, meeting Sasuke's glare with a knowing grin.

"I could at least pay for my drink," Sasuke said and started drinking. It was strong.

"Maybe another day." Naruto licked the green side of his ice cream as they started strolling again. "Wow. Kiwi tastes good."

"Does it really?"

Naruto nodded. "Wanna try?"

His eyes narrowed, Sasuke looked at the ice cream. Naruto didn't look poisoned, so he figured one lick wouldn't hurt.

It was sour and sweet at the same time. Maybe it wasn't bad enough to poison, but he would stick to the usual ones if he had to eat.

"You have a bit of something here," Naruto pointed at Sasuke's bottom lip.

"Where?" He licked the spot Naruto was showing.

"No, _here_."

"Whe—"

Naruto licked the exact same spot he'd just licked and kissed it before pulling back. "I lied."

Sasuke stood confused before starting to laugh out loud. "Idiot."

"You should've let me kiss you when I wanted to. Now you'll have to face the consequences."

"And what are those?"

Naruto gave no time to Sasuke to stop him as he drank some of his coffee.

"Mixing coffee and kiwi?" He wrinkled his nose.

"Not the best combination ever," Naruto licked the mango side. "Look. You can already see the tower."

Sasuke looked up. Now that it was almost evening, the lights of the tower were on, giving it a luminous effect. The tallest side of the building was circular. He decided he liked the view.

They sat down on a bench. "That's the Town Hall," Naruto pointed at the building behind them. "Itachi comes here pretty often. He brought me once too. I didn't go in, though."

"The exterior looks nice," Sasuke noted, deciding not to comment on the last part. "Itachi looked happy with his friends."

"They're good people. Itachi knows them for a long time. Too bad they moved here."

"Konan seemed to like the idea of us going out a lot."

"Yeah. She told me that too," Naruto started to eat the cone, making crunching noises. "Although she never mentioned you before."

"I'm pretty sure she had good reasons," Sasuke muttered. His fingers were wrapped around the empty cup of coffee.

Naruto snatched it away to throw it in the bin next to him along with his napkin. "Well. What matters is here and now."

The stars were starting to appear. It wasn't as vivid as it was in Stillwater, but definitely clearer than San Fransisco. Sasuke cleared his throat. "I want to ask you something."

"Alright," Naruto leaned to his side slightly to put his head on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Hypothetically speaking, if we were to… have sex anytime soon," he felt Naruto stiffen. "…How would it go?"

"In what aspect?"

"In general." He looked at Naruto's hands that were pinching the fabric of his jeans.

"If you're wondering about who would top or somethin', I'm fine with both. But I think it could be better if I did it since you have no experience."

"Gee, thanks," Sasuke said sarcastically. "I love it when you remind me all the time."

"It's not something to be ashamed of. I'm just sayin'." He angled his head to see Sasuke's face. "But about the rest. We'd probably just go with the flow. That's what's always happened with us, isn't it?"

"Hn. Probably."

Naruto's head moved away from his shoulder and Sasuke once again looked up to take in the city view.

After watching the familiar sight of a city full of towers and buildings for a while, he realized Naruto's gaze was on himself and looked at the ocean blue eyes before him. "You have something to say?"

"No," Naruto shook his head. The breeze made his blond hair wave, and he had to brush some of it away when it got in his eye. Sasuke merely smiled at the sight. "Can I kiss you now?"

"I thought you liked the consequences."

"They can wait. 'Cause I really wanna kiss you."

Sasuke nodded and bit his lip very gently before Naruto leaned in to connect their lips in a soft, warm kiss. Naruto tasted like mango, and he felt his tongue licking his bottom lip vaguely. He let out a whimper as the kiss deepened.

Sasuke was the one to break it. "We really, really shouldn't do this here." He looked around. There wasn't anyone watching them, but he thought this wasn't the most appropriate place to kiss.

"That's why I wanted to do it," Naruto snickered. "Come on. You're cold. We should head back to the car."

"Hn," Sasuke grabbed the hand waiting for him and got on his feet. "Reckless, but thoughtful. You're an interesting person, Naruto."

"I'd like to think that too," he put both their hands in the pocket of Sasuke's jacket. "I wouldn't wanna be a boring person."

XxX

The ride home was cheerful. Sasuke had had to listen to Naruto making history references again, and they'd listened to some music, too. Sasuke thought he had a mediocre music taste, but Naruto had said he liked the songs in his iPod.

"I'll park the car and join you," Naruto watched Sasuke unfasten the seat belt. "You go ahead."

"Okay," Sasuke opened the door. "See you inside."

They'd decided to pay Itachi a visit before going back to Naruto's place. He was surprised to see that Konan and Yahiko were still here.

"Sasukeee!" Konan cheered. "How was your date? Where's Naruto?"

She was unusually cheerful. Sasuke raised a dark brow. "It was fine. He's parking the car."

"Sorry. She drank a bit too much," Yahiko entered the living room. "I'm not entirely sober too."

Itachi joined them. "You two should stay the night."

"I'm in no state to reject the offer," Yahiko shrugged. "We can stay up late and talk like we did in old days."

"HEY GUYS!" Naruto barged in. Sasuke hadn't heard the front door, so he guessed Naruto had used the door connecting the garage to the house. "Aw. Partying without me?" He walked to Itachi and put his arm around his shoulders.

"You need to stop being such a party animal," Itachi shook his head disapprovingly.

Konan sprawled on the couch. "He's still young. Let him party."

"We have a bottle of wine Konan just opened – no, you're not drinking anymore," Yahiko took the bottle from his wife's hand. "You two can have it if you want."

"Great!" Naruto accepted it with a broad grin.

"Are you sure you should drink?" Itachi eyed him with skeptical eyes.

"I'm not an alcoholic, Itachi," he huffed and drank some straight from the bottle. "Right, Sasuke?"

Sasuke pressed his lips together. "I guess. But maybe it's better if you give that to me."

"Aw, you wanna drink too? Here."

"Look at these two!" Konan nudged Yahiko violently. "I want to mother cute boys like them!"

Itachi chuckled at the way Yahiko covered his face in embarrassment. "Sasuke. Are you staying the night?"

"We'll head back to Naruto's place," he replied and placed the bottle to his lips to drink some.

With a thoughtful expression, Itachi nodded. Sasuke didn't have much time to think about it since Naruto started to tug him toward the door.

"Our date still isn't over so we gotta go. Bye guys!"

He didn't get a chance to even wave goodbye. Naruto seemed excited to take Sasuke back to his place. "What's the rush?" He questioned and took another swig.

"I have to give you a goodbye kiss," Naruto answered with self-confidence.

Sasuke frowned. "Why?"

"So we can end the date."

"I didn't know you wanted it to be over."

"I don't. It's a tradition. I gotta kiss you at the end of the date," he smiled at Sasuke. They were in front of Naruto's front door now.

"Do it then," Sasuke shrugged.

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "I will."

He stood there, gazing into Sasuke's eyes before he finally took a step, and very slowly, closed the distance between their lips. Sasuke's eyes fluttered shut at the softness of the kiss. He put his free hand on Naruto's chest and kissed back.

"Mm," Naruto let out a low voice. "Okay."

"Okay," Sasuke confirmed. He couldn't help the small smile tugging on his lips when he saw the enchanted expression on Naruto's face.

A warm hand found his, and Naruto unlocked the door. "Let's go inside. The date might be over, but the night isn't."

Sasuke licked his lips in anticipation and tightened his grip on the bottle. "Let's go."


	14. You Only Live Once!

Naruto didn't let go of Sasuke's hand until they started climbing the stairs. Sasuke was ahead of Naruto, and with a loud slapping sound, Naruto smacked Sasuke's ass.

"Idiot. What was that for?" Sasuke grumbled irritatedly as he rubbed the spot.

"It's one of the 'consequences'."

"But you already kissed me. Twice."

"…I know," Naruto chuckled. "Maybe I just wanted to smack you."

"You won't be touching my ass for a long time if you do it again without asking me," Sasuke said absentmindedly, taking a drink from the bottle in his hand afterward.

"My Princess," Naruto stopped in his tracks. They were in front of his door. He kneeled and took Sasuke's free hand in his own. "Will you bestow me the honor of smacking your pretty ass?"

Sasuke's eyes widened before he started chuckling especially loud. "What gear is broken in your head?"

Naruto planted a small kiss on Sasuke's palm, giggling like a little kid. "The one you put out of order by captivating me with your beauty, m'lady."

"Shut up!" Sasuke tried pulling his hand out of Naruto's between his laughter and embarrassment, but Naruto held onto it tighter. "Let go, idiot."

"I will if you give me a kiss."

"Why are you so…" Sasuke tried finding the right word, but when Naruto was looking at him with _that_ expression, it was very difficult to use his brains. He leaned down and kissed Naruto's cheek.

"Why cheek?" Naruto pouted. "Ah. Guess it's my fault. I didn't specify where I wanted it. Wait – next time I'll—"

"Keep it to yourself," Sasuke shook his head and opened the door.

They walked into the bedroom, a small smile on their faces. Sasuke handed the wine bottle to Naruto and took off his jacket, not caring about the wrinkles that would appear as he threw it on the back of a chair. He undid the first three buttons of his shirt and looked at Naruto, who was drinking hungrily from the bottle as if he hadn't drunk anything all day.

"Naruto," Sasuke spoke. "Thank you for taking me out tonight. I had fun."

Naruto pulled the bottle away from his lips and smiled, wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve. "My pleasure."

Taking a step toward his date, Sasuke tried to take the bottle back. Naruto didn't let him, a mischevious grin playing on his lips. "You've had enough."

Narrowing his eyes, a clear warning, Sasuke tried again. Naruto took a step back, his back met the door and he took a long swig, staring directly into Sasuke's eyes, almost challenging him to come and get it. Sasuke licked his lips and walked forward until his body was pressed flush against Naruto's.

Much to Naruto's surprise, instead of taking the bottle, he clashed his mouth on Naruto's. A whimper escaped Naruto's lips before he kissed back with the same fervor. As quick as the kiss had started, it ended with Sasuke snatching the bottle away from Naruto's grip and smirking smugly.

"You cheated," Naruto said between clenched teeth. His voice was devoid of the usual dramatic tone. This was hazardous; promising Sasuke very, very naughty things that sent a jolt of pleasure to Sasuke's groin, causing it to tighten.

He swallowed a mouthful of wine. "Punish me then."

Barely a second later, the bottle was gone and left on the chair as lips claimed his. Naruto was neither shy nor careful as he pushed Sasuke backward until he fell on the bed, and he straddled Sasuke's hips, bringing their cocks together and making them twitch to life. Sasuke wound his arms around Naruto's neck and pulled him down closer. Naruto's tongue was discovering, thrusting in and out of Sasuke's mouth like he was mirroring what he really wanted to do with other body parts.

"Ngh!" Sasuke let out a moan when Naruto bit on his tongue. His body felt like it was on fire. Everywhere Naruto's touch reached burned with lust and passion.

"Shirt. Off." Naruto practically ripped the shirt off of Sasuke and started nipping one of his nipples without warning. If this was a punishment, Sasuke was ready to be bad for the rest of his life.

Their growing bulges ground together and Naruto started sucking on a random spot on Sasuke's chest. He nipped and sucked again until Sasuke felt it burn with pain. This was different than the things they had done before. This was scorching. He felt like if they kept going on, they would both burn with desire until they turned into ash.

Naruto's mouth found his again, kissing, sucking, biting as his hands slid down and groped the swell of Sasuke's ass possessively. To not stay completely passive, Sasuke took hold of the collar of Naruto's shirt, undoing all the buttons, not stopping the kiss as he pulled it off and threw it somewhere on the floor.

He rubbed Naruto's sides, then touched his smooth chest and neck, and at last, his hand fisted in his hair. He felt something touch his straining erection and broke the kiss to look down. Naruto was undoing his belt buckle.

"I think we've waited long enough for this," Naruto panted. His cheeks were flushed a light red, he was moving swiftly as he pulled everything down, leaving Sasuke naked, pushed Sasuke's legs apart and kneeled.

Sasuke opened his mouth, but whatever sentence he'd formed in his mind disappeared upon feeling Naruto's hot, wet mouth on his sensitive length. A loud moan rose from his throat, his hands started tugging on Naruto's hair automatically. He wasn't even able to think, let alone being self-conscious about which part of his anatomy Naruto was sucking – what Naruto was doing turned his brain into mush. Right now, it was just Naruto, him and lust in this world.

"Hah, _shit—"_

Naruto groaned around his cock, vibrating and increasing the pleasure. Sasuke wasn't even aware that it was possible. He opened his eyes and looked down. Watching himself slip in and out of Naruto's mouth was ecstatic; the blond's head was bobbing up and down, making slippery, sexy sounds. Sasuke's right hand left Naruto's hair to grab the tan hand on his thigh. Naruto interlocked their fingers. Their eyes met.

" _Naruto_ ," Sasuke groaned. He was sure he sounded desperate, but it was the truth.

Naruto's free hand started playing with Sasuke's sacs. He slipped Sasuke out of his mouth with a loud pop, licking his way down and taking a ball into his mouth while his hand kept fondling the other.

Sasuke's eyes almost rolled back into his head. "You have to teach me how to do these."

"Watch and learn, rookie." His mouth opened, and a second later, Sasuke's cock was back in his mouth, the head touching his throat. His nose nuzzled the base of it.

"Dammit!" Sasuke's back arched off the bed. His orgasm built up so fucking fast – he only had a couple of seconds to warn Naruto, but when he pulled a strand of hair harshly, Naruto winked at him and kept sucking.

His balls tightened and he released, his hands clawing the bed as his cum went down Naruto's throat. For the next couple of minutes, he was barely awake. He felt Naruto let go of him and lick his still pulsating cock, then he felt a kiss on the abused spot on his chest before lips found his, kissing him softly. He was slowly coming down from his high. He kissed back.

It was strange tasting himself on Naruto's tongue. Naruto had given him no chance to protest, but as the kiss deepened once more, he realized he liked it. Naruto had sucked _his_ cock. He was kissing _him_ now. The feeling could be named as possessiveness, he figured, but he was still too lost to think about it thoroughly.

"You look like a fuckin' Greek God when you're cumming," Naruto mumbled on his lips, his eyes half shut.

"Hmm."

He heard the sound of a zipper getting down and the rustling of jeans. Using the strength he was slowly gathering, he opened his eyes, only to see Naruto stroking himself.

"Wait," he muttered. Naruto's hand stopped.

"What?"

"Naruto." He propped himself on his elbows. They spent a moment looking into each other's eyes, Sasuke trying to find a way to say it and Naruto trying to figure out what Sasuke was going to say. Taking a deep breath, he decided to be frank. "I want to do it."

With a smile on his lips, Naruto leaned down and kissed Sasuke's cheek. "Not yet."

" _No_ ," Sasuke growled. As much as he didn't want to think about someone else other than Naruto right now, he recalled Ino's words about initiating it and flipped their positions, trapping Naruto between himself and the bed. "I'm serious. I feel ready. I am ready."

Naruto's brows furrowed, one of his hands moving up to cup Sasuke's cheek. "…Are you sure?"

"Yes." He kissed the line between Naruto's brows. "You don't need to hesitate. Don't hold back. I want it as much as you do."

He saw Naruto gulp, his Adam's apple moving. Without thinking, he licked the skin of his neck.

"H-hah," Naruto breathed out, his hips moving uncomfortably. It took a moment for Sasuke to realize Naruto was rock hard under him. He'd gotten off, but Naruto hadn't.

"Do you want me to help you out with that first?"

"No. If you're sure you want it, let's do this. Right now." He brought Sasuke down for a kiss, then rolled them over and got up, heading toward Sasuke's backpack.

"It's in the front."

"Okay," Naruto mumbled. Sasuke watched him get the box of condoms and walk back to the bed, opening the drawer next to it to grab the lube before crawling on it. He looked at the objects in his hands like it was his first time seeing them. Sasuke squinted his eyes to see better – _yes_ , Naruto's hands were shaking. It wasn't obvious, but it was still there. Naruto was nervous.

Gently, Sasuke pried the objects from his hand and placed them on the bed. He held Naruto's hands between his. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Totally. Lay down on your chest. No, wait, actually, on your back. That might be better."

It was distracting to see Naruto nervous like this. Sasuke didn't think this was a problem about Naruto's issues in bed; it was more like he was afraid Sasuke would regret it later. He didn't say anything else as he laid down on his back. Naruto eyed him, hunger evident in his eyes as well as the uncertainty, and with a shake of the head, crawled between Sasuke's legs, pushing them apart as he settled.

He uncapped the bottle of lube and squeezed some onto his shaking fingers. He leaned over Sasuke, braced himself and pushed one of Sasuke's legs with one hand as the other snaked down between Sasuke's asscheeks. "Just one finger. It won't hurt… yet. Just don't strain your muscles, okay?"

"Okay."

He closed his eyes, ready to face what was yet to come. It felt like an intrusion when he felt the slickened finger against his hole, but he already knew this would happen and was prepared for it. He didn't trust himself to top now, it seemed like a better idea to let Naruto do it because he actually knew what he was doing, unlike Sasuke. The finger started circling around it. It didn't feel bad, actually, the feeling itself was nice. If only the weirdness of having someone else touching his ass would go away.

"I'm going in," Naruto warned.

Sasuke nodded, feeling sweat start to break out on his skin. Like promised, the finger started to push in. He felt the tight ring of muscles embrace it. He breathed in and out, trying to calm himself.

Naruto started leaving soft kisses on his jaw as he pushed his finger in further. Now it was starting to feel even worse. First of all, he was sure it really wasn't an entrance and things were only supposed to go _out_ of there, but people seemed to like it so much. He would just have to wait until it started to feel better.

The hand stopped moving when the whole finger was in. Sasuke unintentionally clenched his muscles, which made him feel the finger with more intensity, and Naruto made it obvious that he was affected too by moaning into Sasuke's ear.

"Stop," he panted. "Don't clench your ass."

"Sorry," Sasuke said. He licked his dry lips and opened his eyes. Naruto was looking down at his hand. "Look at me."

Naruto did as he was demanded. The look in his eyes was almost desperate.

Sasuke wound an arm around his neck and drew him in for a kiss, letting their lips linger on each other for a while before he whispered, "Go in with another one."

He was almost surprised at how quick Naruto retreated his finger and started probing again along with a second one. This time, it added a stinging feeling.

"It hurts a bit."

"It will go away," Naruto muttered. His eyes were down again, but this time, focused. Unlike before, he didn't stop moving his fingers when he went all the way in. He was moving them like he was in search for something in particular.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked, confused.

"You'll see," he smirked. He was starting to get bolder, which was fine by Sasuke. It would be interesting to see Naruto put all his experience in use.

He touched a few different spots inside of Sasuke. Just as he was getting ready to ask again, Naruto touched something that made him arch his back off the bed and cry. "Ah!"

"There," Naruto grinned in triumph. His fingers focused on that spot, gently rubbing and caressing while Sasuke closed his eyes and clenched Naruto's shoulders, possibly leaving bruises.

His cock was starting to get hard again with rapid speed. "Mm," he moaned. "What are you doing—ah!"

"Touching your prostate," Naruto explained with a hushed voice. He kissed Sasuke on the lips before he continued. "This is what makes guys so into anal sex."

"Is that so?" Sasuke panted. This felt different than the pleasure earned by touching his cock. Lust was the same, but touching himself usually spread a wave of pleasure to his entire body while this focused the feeling on one spot and it repeated again and again until he could do nothing but let himself get carried away. He cracked an eye open to see. Naruto's hold on his leg was making it easier for him to see how fingers were moving in his ass, and his cock twitched when Naruto rubbed at the spot again.

"Can I go in with another one?"

"Yes."

Fingers were pulled out. Sasuke wasn't sure how three fingers would fit in _there_ , but if cocks did, so would three fingers. He told himself it wouldn't hurt, but of course, it hurt, more so than ever.

"Naruto," he bit his bottom lip to suppress the moan of pain.

"Sorry," Naruto kissed his temple. He felt the grip on his leg get removed, and he realized it was for touching his cock when he felt fingers wrap around him and start to pump.

"Yess," he hissed at the pleasure. The feeling of fingers in his ass stretching, scissoring him and Naruto jerking him off was kind of an overload. He couldn't think straight, that is if he could think at all.

"I think it's enough." The fingers were gone, and so was the hand on his cock. His breathing was ragged as he watched Naruto take off his jeans and underwear completely, throw them aside and open the box to take out a pack of condom.

He ripped it with his teeth and hastily rolled it down his length that stood proudly between his legs. Sasuke felt himself get stiff at the thought of taking a whole penis inside him.

"I can see how nervous you are," Naruto said as he poured some of the lube over it and coat his whole shaft. "But believe me, so am I."

"You're not the one taking _that_ up in your ass," he knitted his brows.

"How dare you call Naruto Jr. _that_?"

"And I'm about to have sex with you," Sasuke rolled his eyes. Naruto just smiled, taking his previous position but this time, moving both of Sasuke's legs up and bending him in half, his arms touching the back of Sasuke's knees.

"Relax. You can stop me if it starts to feel unbearable."

"It won't feel unbearable," he shook his head. "I trust you with going slow. You know the deal."

"Yeah." Naruto reached down to adjust himself. Sasuke felt the tip of Naruto against his hole. " _Sasuke_."

"What?" He snapped, his voice cracking at the end.

"…I really like you, ya know."

Sasuke let out a throaty chuckle. "I know."

With that, Naruto pushed in. It felt different than having fingers in – this was actually a lot better if you liked the filling sensation. There was pain too, but he didn't feel like his ass was being split in two. It was just burning, and he was a man. He could take it.

Naruto stopped halfway, letting Sasuke adjust, then started pushing in again and didn't stop until he was buried to the hilt. Sasuke felt Naruto's sweaty body tremble against his own, and two hands went in his hair, gripping it.

" _Sasuke_ ," Naruto whispered in his ear, his hot breath fanning his skin and setting it on fire. " _Can you feel it? I'm so deep inside of you_."

"Yes. I can feel it." He grumbled. His cock was leaking against his stomach and he'd never felt more alive than he did right now. "Move."

"Okay."

He pulled out a bit before thrusting in again. Sasuke's hands gripped the sheets tightly, his knuckles turning white. Naruto did it again for a couple of times. The burn was slowly disappearing, letting the pleasure take over Sasuke's body.

"Hmm," Naruto groaned. "So good. You feel amazing."

"You don't need to hold back. I don't feel pain anymore."

"Oh, thank God," Naruto connected their lips in a heated kiss, moving his hips as he did so. When they parted, he smirked in a way that could be interpreted as only 'promising'.

His thrusting angle changed for several times. The latest one had Sasuke arching his back again in intense pleasure.

"Now we're getting started." Naruto held Sasuke's hips, not letting them move, and started aiming for that spot continuously. Sasuke was a moaning mess, he barely felt a bead of sweat trickle down his chin. Whatever Naruto was doing, it felt fantastic and he didn't want it to end.

He crossed his legs at the ankles, forcing Naruto further in. Their mouths sloppily moved against each other, tongues playfully twirling around.

"Shit," Naruto breathed out against Sasuke's mouth. "Fuck. I'm getting close."

"Don't hold back," Sasuke kissed him again.

"But I wanna cum at the same time." He snaked a hand between them and started stroking Sasuke's sensitized cock in time with his thrusts.

"Hnn," Sasuke moaned and threw his head back. "That's it."

"You've been missing out on all these," Naruto chuckled and bit on the shell of Sasuke's ear. He started driving in harder.

Sasuke would make sure he wouldn't miss out on anything Naruto had to offer ever again. "N-Naruto," he sucked in a breath. "I'm gonna cum."

"Do it. Cum for me," Naruto's thrusts became jerky, his breath harsh against Sasuke's ear. "I wanna see you."

It only took several strokes for Sasuke to cum. His mind went completely blank, his brain shut down and the only thing he could feel was Naruto moving inside of him still, hard and warm. The hand never left jerking him off. It milked Sasuke until he stopped cumming.

"Ah," Naruto went in with a particularly hard thrust. "Sasuke!"

Despite his tiredness, Sasuke opened his eyes to see Naruto reach his peak. The blond had his brows arched up, his mouth agape and he looked absolutely spectacular.

He almost slumped down on Sasuke. He was still out of breath, still inside of Sasuke, and still beautiful. Sasuke brushed some of the blond bangs aside and ran his fingers through the locks, watching Naruto's lashes flutter against his flushed cheeks.

"Sasukeee," he whimpered after a couple of minutes. "Say something."

"You're the sappy one. Plus, words can wait. You need to pull out."

"Not romantic at all," Naruto murmured but complied Sasuke's wish. He pulled out slowly, making Sasuke wince, and got rid of the condom by throwing it in the small bin under his bed. He silently laid down next to Sasuke. There was a box of Kleenex standing on the bedside table, and Sasuke grabbed a few to wipe his stomach.

Now he felt like a jerk for saying those words. Naruto was sentimental, even more than Sasuke was. Pillow talk was probably his thing. He lifted his gaze up to Naruto's face, looking at the ocean blue orbs watch the ceiling. He didn't look very happy. And that needed to be changed.

But words that needed to be used in social situations were never his strong suit. Instead, he moved closer and pulled Naruto back to his chest. "That was the best sex I've ever had."

Naruto snorted. "You really are not romantic at all."

"I'm sorry," he softly said and starting petting Naruto's hair. Naruto relaxed under his touch, snuggling closer and wrapping his hands around Sasuke.

"…I really do like you."

"Hm?" Sasuke smiled, even though Naruto couldn't see it. "What a coincidence. I really like you too."

This earned him a chuckle. "Bastard."

"Bastard whom you just had sex with."

"Right," Naruto lifted his head and placed his chin on Sasuke's chest to see him. "Tell me. I wanna know."

"I thought it was obvious how much I liked it," Sasuke said. "It really was great."

"That's 'cause I'm great in bed," Naruto exclaimed haughtily. Sasuke laughed instead of smacking him and pulled him up to meet their lips.

Naruto gently cupped Sasuke's cheek, caressing the skin with his thumb. His other hand found Sasuke's, holding it and bringing it to his chest. Under his hand that was flush against Naruto, he could feel how fast Naruto's heart was beating as their lips moved on each other. It made him smile into the kiss.

"I feel butterflies in my stomach when you kiss me," Naruto whispered, his eyes fixed on Sasuke's lips. "Do I… make you excited too?"

Sasuke pulled Naruto down so their bodies came in contact. He nuzzled Naruto's neck, breathing in his scent. His hand was roaming over Naruto's back. "You do."

Naruto nodded into Sasuke's shoulder and wrapped his arms around him. They stood like that for a while, just feeling each other's presence. It wasn't until moments later Sasuke realized Naruto was shaking ever so slightly.

"…Naruto?"

When he didn't answer, Sasuke tried pushing him away to see his face, but Naruto held on tighter. Sasuke didn't force him. If Naruto was having an insecure moment and just wanted to stay in Sasuke's arms until he calmed down, Sasuke wasn't going to stop him.

He began to pet Naruto's hair and kiss his neck, his cheek, and shoulder while he waited. He didn't like Naruto feeling this way, but it was nice to know that he found comfort in Sasuke's arms, even if just a bit. After what seemed like forever, Naruto very slowly lifted himself from Sasuke's chest and his hands immediately went to his face, rubbing his eyes. Sasuke didn't say a word.

"Thanks for putting up with me," Naruto smiled. It was a genuine, but broken smile; like he was afraid of something and didn't want to show it to Sasuke.

"Don't say that," Sasuke scolded fondly. Naruto didn't look at him as he adjusted the pillows.

"Hmmm," Naruto laid next to Sasuke and yawned. "I'm tired."

"Do you want me to sing you a lullaby?" Sasuke smirked. He just wanted Naruto to cheer up, and teasing him was probably one of the few ways he knew.

"Are you callin' me a baby?" Naruto frowned, offended.

"I said no such thing."

"You implied!"

"Who knows," he put an arm around Naruto to get him closer. Without contact, he felt cold.

They stared at each other for a moment, taking in everything. Naruto was playing with Sasuke's hair. It was Sasuke who broke the silence.

"I never thought I would feel this way about someone," he muttered. There was no reason to hide how he felt about Naruto, especially when it was obvious Naruto had doubts about himself. "That I would be in bed with someone, holding them this close. I always thought it was unnecessary."

"It's not," Naruto tugged on Sasuke's bangs.

"No, it's not," he agreed. "But I don't think it would feel like this if you were someone else."

Naruto sighed. "Maybe not."

"Tell me, Naruto, does this feel the same with what you felt in your past relationships?"

"No," Naruto frowned. "I don't compare people."

"Then why do you feel like I will?"

"When did I say—" He stopped talking and the line between his brows deepened.

Sasuke calmly continued. "You didn't say it. But isn't that what you feel? That I'll leave you for someone else and they will make me feel better than you do? If that's the case, I should be the one worried. You can find someone who's experienced – both in relationships and bed. You can go to clubs every night with him, but instead, you're here with me, who has no experience, no wish to constantly party and in no way as romantic as you'd like me to be."

"I don't want you to be like that," Naruto answered. "I like you the way you are. Sex isn't what makes a relationship, and I gotta add, you're a fast learner," he snickered. "But I wouldn't change a thing about you. You don't need to be as romantic as I am. I can tell you care about me. Don't let my insecurities make you feel like I don't appreciate the lengths you're goin' for me."

He simply nodded to let Naruto know he knew that.

"I wish we could grow up together. You could've made me a better person."

Sasuke connected their foreheads and looked into Naruto's eyes. "You don't need me to be a better person."

"You don't understand," Naruto spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "My life's turned upside down ever since you came here. I don't wake up with nightmares about my parents all the time. I don't drink to forget. And it's been only two weeks. Two fucking weeks, Sasuke, and I'm a better person. Think about all that could've happened in 19 years."

The unfamiliar feeling of his eyes welling up startled Sasuke. He tried putting some distance between them, but Naruto held him close.

"I'm not sayin' all these to make you sad. I just want you to know how much I need you. How much I treasure your presence."

Sasuke felt the words that had left Naruto's mouth weigh a lot on his conscious. Being needed that much by someone wasn't something he was used to, and he felt like he couldn't take that responsibility, but there was another voice in his head that whispered ' _you need him as much as he needs you'_. He felt truly alive, maybe for the first time in his life. He felt loved, needed. He felt like he was finally home after a long journey.

He didn't have time to ponder the accuracy of the words as Naruto closed his lips on his, pouring his emotions into the kiss while his thumb wiped the lone tear escaping from Sasuke's eye. He shut his brain down, only focusing on the warmth radiating from Naruto, and the way his lips sensually moved on his own.

"Let's just sleep, okay? Don't think too much for now," Naruto pecked his forehead before rolling Sasuke and spooning him. He felt Naruto pull the covers over them. Did he even need them when Naruto was behind him, warming up both his body and heart? He didn't think so.

Naruto's hand found Sasuke's, which was resting on his stomach, and interlaced their fingers as he kissed each one of Sasuke's shoulder blades, then lightly nipped on the shell of his ear and last of all, left a lingering kiss on his neck.

"G'night, Sasuke," he murmured into his ear.

Lulled by Naruto's affectionate kisses, Sasuke sleepily hummed. "Night."

XxX

It wasn't until noon Sasuke woke up with Naruto's arm around his waist. Their positions looked different than how they'd slept last night, and he figured they'd somehow ended up like this again, face to face, after rolling around. Naruto was sleeping peacefully. He didn't seem like he'd woken up in the night, which made Sasuke let out a relieved sigh. Their tangled legs were naked against each other, letting him feel the heat of Naruto's skin against his own. He made no move to pull away, instead, he placed his hand on the muscle of Naruto's shoulder and traced the tan skin with his finger, wondering if his touch would wake Naruto up, but it didn't, so he decided to go ahead and wake him with a kiss.

As he leaned down, he couldn't help but think that this – waking up with someone he liked- was a thousand times better than waking up alone in a cold bed. He was slowly starting to grasp why people cared about having romantic interests.

He pressed his lips against Naruto's firmly before pulling back and studying the effect. It was pretty much non-existent; Naruto simply groaned and rolled to his side. Sasuke shook his head and put the covers on Naruto, getting himself out of the bed. The skin of his stomach felt taut for obvious reasons. He fixed it with a shower and brushed his teeth. He even used Naruto's mouthwash to kill some time, because he wanted Naruto to sleep as much as he could, but he was starting to get bored of stalling around.

The only thing he had on was a pair of sweatpants he'd borrowed from Naruto's wardrobe as he crawled to the sleeping man on all fours, his bangs falling down on his face. He took in the slightly red cheeks, long, light lashes and the blond hair haphazardly framing his forehead before he licked his lips and gave Naruto a quick kiss.

"Ngh," he earned himself a grumble, but just as he tried to crawl back in defeat, two hands found his neck and pulled him close. His hair was touching Naruto's face as they kissed. "It tickles," Naruto spoke with a hoarse voice.

"Hn," Sasuke kissed the corner of his mouth, and teasingly touched Naruto's stomach very lightly, hearing a suppressed giggle escape Naruto's throat. "I don't care."

"What time is it?"

This time, Sasuke kissed Naruto's cheekbone. "I don't know…" He tucked a blond strand of hair behind his ear. Without a reason, the color caught his attention, and suddenly, he was inspired to say something… romantic. "Aren't you my sun? What time do you want it to be?"

Naruto's eyes opened wide. He looked at Sasuke like Sasuke was a work of art, showing all its beauty and all Naruto wanted to was to protect it and keep it to himself. In the end, his lips twitched and he gave Sasuke a sweet, alluring smile. "You're bein' romantic."

"Uh-huh," Sasuke kissed the tip of Naruto's nose.

"Damn. What's gotten into you?" Naruto said with a hoarse tone and flipped them over so he was the one on top of Sasuke, nuzzling his neck. "You smell like coconuts."

"That's because you're obsessed with them," Sasuke chuckled. "Also, we're changing the lube. I don't want to think of it whenever I see watermelons."

"Does that mean…" Naruto nibbled the shell of Sasuke's ear. "We'll do it again?"

"Eventually," Sasuke replied.

Naruto sat up and crossed his legs beneath him, wrapping the covers around his naked waist. "I need to ask you something."

Sasuke got serious as well. He leaned back against the headboard, paying his attention to Naruto completely. "Okay."

"Don't feel obligated to answer right away, but I have to ask." He swallowed loudly. "Are you ready to call me your… boyfriend yet?"

Inhaling sharply, Sasuke blankly stared at Naruto. His brain stopped functioning. He hadn't thought about this.

Naruto tersely nodded, taking Sasuke's unresponsiveness as a 'no'. "Um. I'm just gonna go, uh, shower."

Just as Naruto hopped out of bed, Sasuke caught his wrist without thinking. His grip was tight around it. Naruto's eyes found his, almost begging him to say something, but no goddamned words came out of his mouth.

"Can I?"

His fingers loosened and Naruto pulled his arm out of his hold. He walked into the bathroom and shut the door. Sasuke heard no sound of a lock turning.

"Shit." He hissed to himself and rubbed his aching temples. He was supposed to say something, anything. He shouldn't have let Naruto go like that.

The sound of water hitting the shower tiles was heard, and Sasuke took a calming breath. He only needed to ask the question to himself.

Did he want Naruto as his boyfriend? Did he want to spend time with him, wake up with him, cook with him, go out with him?

Yes.

Was he willing to help Naruto calm down when he woke up from a bad dream, crying? Did he want to kiss Naruto's insecurities away, be there for him when he was down – or did he want Naruto to do the same for him?

Also yes.

There were no doubts on his mind as he opened the bathroom door, naked, and closed it behind himself. He wanted to give this a shot. Naruto was worth it.

When Sasuke slid the shower door open, Naruto almost jumped. He'd apparently been thinking too hard and hadn't noticed Sasuke coming in. His questioning gaze turned into one of longing as Sasuke stepped into the shower and wrapped his arms around Naruto's wet body. "I want it," murmured Sasuke. "I want you."

He heard Naruto gasp. "Sasuke…"

"You'll have to bear with me for a while," he spoke. "I'm slowly learning how this works. I can't do it without you."

"I don't mind how inexperienced you are as long as you're here," Naruto said and kissed Sasuke's jaw.

"There you go again, calling me inexperienced," he glared at Naruto playfully.

Naruto chuckled. "But you are!"

The shower head was spraying water on them. Sasuke had already taken a shower, but being extra clean wouldn't hurt. Besides, with something hard grinding to his thigh, he figured he would need another one after this anyway. With a smirk, Naruto pulled him closer from his hips, bringing their dicks into contact. Sasuke pushed Naruto hard to the warm tiles and started moving his hips rhythmically against Naruto's.

"Hmm," Naruto threw his head back and took a shaky breath, his hands wound around Sasuke's neck. Sasuke used the opportunity to latch his lips to his shoulder and gently sucked. "You're not as inexperienced as you proclaim to be, are you?"

Sasuke bit on the skin. "Not after last night."

xXx

After washing off the residues, they both dried off and got dressed, ready for brunch. This time, Sasuke was helping Naruto by checking the waffle maker to make sure they didn't get burned while Naruto was busy with setting the table.

"I think we should reverse our tasks," Sasuke complained.

Naruto beamed at him and put the Nutella jar down. "Nah. You're good there."

"What if they get burned?"

"My students are able to make waffles, Sasuke. You can handle it."

"You can't blame me for not wanting to waste food," he stated.

"Right. I think they're burning. Let me see." Naruto approached him from behind and put his chin on Sasuke's shoulder, lifting the lid. "Hm. No. They're perfectly fine."

"You're bluffing just so you can touch me."

"Busted," Naruto laughed, but instead of taking a step back, he hugged Sasuke to his chest. "Mm. You're warm."

"Our food won't be as warm if you don't let me go."

"Shut up and enjoy it, bastard," he kissed the back of Sasuke's ear. "What do you wanna do today?"

"Eat," Sasuke deadpanned.

Naruto lightly pinched Sasuke. "I meant after that."

"I'm not sure," he turned in Naruto's arms to face him. "I need to start looking for a job."

"Yahiko's friend has an architecture firm. I heard they're looking for employees. You can ask Itachi for help. I'm sure he would love to set up an appointment."

"I didn't say I'm looking for a job as an architect," Sasuke frowned. "I already told you I don't want to do it."

"But you do!" Naruto cried. "I don't want you to waste an opportunity like this. At least go and see what they have to offer."

He tilted his head to his right, looking at the boiling water in the electric kettle.

"Please, Sasuke. I know you don't want to spend the rest of your life working in shops."

Well, Naruto had a point.

"And you don't have anything to lose. If you don't like their circumstances, you can always turn them down."

"Fine, fine," he said with abandon.

Naruto grinned at him, then, placed a chaste kiss on his mouth. "Now you earned yourself food."

"Stop treating me like I'm your pet," Sasuke pushed him away to get the plates.

"Okie-Dokie!" He spanked Sasuke's ass.

" _Naruto_!"


	15. Alaska

**A/N: Hey.**  
 **I know this is like a week and a half late. I honestly don't know how I even wrote it - I was soooo busy lately. Couple of things I have to say about this.**

 **First of all, thank you for reading, leaving reviews, favorites and follows. This was my first proper story and although I'm not exactly sure how it turned out, I'm glad that I wrote it. I love their characters so much - which moves us to the second matter. I know I said something about a sequel, but I'm not so sure about that now. I still think I'll do the Sidefics thing (one-shots in this universe) and post it under the 'Drabbles and Short Stories' thing on _Archive of Our Own_ so you can check that out every once in a while to see if I have posted something.**

 **The reason why I'm not sure about the sequel is... well... I have so many ideas and I want to write them all, but I have a life too. So for now, I'm gonna say don't expect for one, but I'm not 100% sure. I'm a fickle being!**

 **Yeah. That's all. As you probably already guessed, this is the last chapter of this story. Thanks for putting up with my crap. Love you all!**

* * *

The weather was nice enough for them to sit in the backyard after breakfast. Sasuke was very slowly swinging, one of the books he'd found in the living room in his hands while Naruto watered the plants and did some other stuff Sasuke had no idea about. Every once in a while, he would stop reading and check out what Naruto was doing.

"Wanna help out?" Naruto shouted from the distance. Apparently, he hadn't been unaware of the glances.

"With what?" Sasuke asked. "I don't know anything about gardening."

"Come here. I'll teach ya!" With a grin, Naruto stood up, left the hose on the ground and brushed off his hands as Sasuke left the book on the swing and made his way toward the blond. "Can you find me flat rocks?"

"How many?"

"Four or five will do fine."

Sasuke nodded before walking away to find them. First two had been easy, but he spent a couple of extra minutes to find the other three. When he was done, he returned to Naruto's side. His hands were all dusty now. "These work?"

Naruto took a look. "Yeah. Kneel down." Sasuke complied. "Look. You put them around the tomato plant like this, so they will pull water up from under the ground and keep it from evaporating into the air. Tomatoes love water. It's absolutely necessary to keep watering them."

Carefully watching Naruto put the first two rocks, he placed the other three himself. "It's easier than I thought."

"Heh. You only placed rocks. It's much more complicated than that. Now water them."

Naruto got up to turn the water on. The small tap was next to the patio door. Sasuke took hold of the hose, waiting for the water to reach the end, and when it did, he aimed the stream at the base of the plant.

Naruto eyed how much water pooled, and deeming it enough, stopped the water. He bent down and picked one of the small tomatoes, holding it to Sasuke's mouth. "Bite."

Sasuke raised a brow, staring directly into Naruto's eyes. He wasn't hungry, but he wouldn't say no to a tomato. It was sweet with a small hint of sourness.

Naruto threw the other half into his own mouth and chewed. "They're growing nicely."

"Hn. You're a decent gardener, I see."

With a shrug, Naruto answered. "I try my best. I don't like eating ones grown with ripening hormones and shit. Not healthy at all."

"Do you even care about your health that much?"

"Of course I do. Except for alcohol. I sometimes drink too much… Wait – you were implying that, weren't you?!"

Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets and raised a brow.

"Pfft. It's not like I'm an alcoholic. I just happen to like drinking. That's all."

"That's what they all say," Sasuke grumbled.

"But I don't drink that much now. You were with me for the last couple of days. You've seen how much I drank."

"I guess." He turned around, walking back to the swing. The book was on his lap. Naruto glanced at his tomatoes one last time, then took a seat next to Sasuke. His descent made the swing move a bit faster than before.

"Hmm," Naruto took a deep breath. "This is nice."

"Only if you like getting a sunburn."

"Not that," he sighed. "Sitting here with you. Doing nothing."

Sasuke opened and closed the cover of the book two times without looking at it. He could feel his brows furrow, his lips slightly pursed as millions of thoughts ran through his mind. They were here, yes, but what exactly was this? He'd agreed to go steady, but did he know what he was doing – or rather, what he was supposed to do? Other than Naruto, he was not certain what he was doing with his life. Only if he could get a job… Maybe that could make things better. Spending his days with nothing creative ate his mind.

He felt a pair of soft lips on his cheek, and startled, he turned his head. Naruto was looking at him with keen eyes. "You look distracted," he murmured. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"I'm sure a penny wouldn't be enough to buy my thoughts," he scoffed. Naruto didn't say anything, which was a rare thing to happen, so he continued. "I don't know. It's just… life. I feel like I can't cope up with it anymore."

"Tell me if you feel like I've forced you into a relationship."

"No," he quickly objected. "That's not…"

"I got carried away and we moved too fast."

" _Naruto_. It's not like you're the only one getting carried away by all this. I wanted you as much as you wanted me."

The statement took Naruto aback. He seemed to process it for a moment before nodding, his cheeks a light pink. Sasuke hoped it wasn't from the sun. "You need time to get used to this."

It wasn't a question. Naruto seemed to understand his problem with being in a relationship for the first time.

"Hn," he put the book between them on the swing.

"For other things… You know you can talk to me about your problems… right? I might not be able to help with everything, but… I'll try my best. And I'm a good listener."

He offered Naruto a small smile. "Thanks."

They both knew Sasuke wasn't 100% comfortable with sharing everything yet – even Naruto wasn't, but it was the thought that counted.

Naruto yawned, moving the swing as he stretched.

"You slept like a pig and you're still tired?"

"Hey, I slept like _a kitten_. And it's your fault for tiring me last night."

Sasuke felt his hands get sweaty as he recalled their activities. "You enjoyed it."

"Fuck yes," he grinned, his eyes a clear blue in the daylight. "Wanna do it again?"

"What, now?" He raised a brow. "I don't think I could sit properly if we did. I'm sore, even now."

"That's kind of the point—"

Naruto's phone went off with an obnoxious melody on the table in front of the seating set.

"Ah, sorry." He rushed to take it. Sasuke saw him make a surprised face, but didn't dwell on it. "Hey, Grandad. What's up?"

He walked back and forth, listening to the man speak. His hand went to his nape, rubbing anxiously.

"No, I don't—Don't give it to her!" He groaned. "Shit."

Sasuke figured Naruto was talking about Tsunade. She had an interesting attitude, so it made sense if Naruto didn't want to talk to her right now, when they were having a moment.

Whatever she was saying, it made Naruto stole a glance at Sasuke before walking away, speaking silently. Now, this wasn't something Sasuke was used to. Naruto had been quite comfortable with sharing his personal life until now.

Naruto angrily hung up, staring at the phone in his hand like he wanted to smash it. Sasuke, warily, stood up and walked up to him. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh? No, it's…" He scratched his cheek. "Tsunade wants me to come to St. Paul to see my therapist in an hour."

"Are you going to?"

"She…" He looked away. "I should. I haven't seen Kakashi for about a year now. He told me to come if I ever felt like I need to, but Tsunade insists on visiting him just in case."

"I can come with you," suggested Sasuke. "If you want me to."

"Heh." Naruto wore a smile on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Thanks for the offer, but it's best for me to go alone. I tend to be crabby after seeing him."

"I don't mind."

"Really, though," Naruto's smile faded. "I'm fine. I can go on my own."

Not pushing it seemed like the best option. Sasuke wanted to help, but if Naruto didn't want help, there wasn't much he could do about it now. "Okay."

"I'm gonna go and, uh, see Kiba. They should be back by now," he checked the time on his phone. He was suddenly acting weird. Sasuke knew Naruto's mood tended to change damn fast, so he didn't say anything. Also, there was no invitation for him to come with him to Kiba's.

He felt a bad feeling in his stomach.

There was no need to feel like this. Naruto probably needed to think and process everything as much as Sasuke needed to, and tell about it to a friend. His best friend was Kiba and it made perfect sense that Naruto wanted to see him.

It wasn't anything he did.

"I'll go home then," he managed to mutter to break the silence.

"Okay," Naruto nodded, chewing his lip. "You're more than welcome to borrow the book if you liked it."

Sasuke looked back at the book sitting on the swing. He hadn't read much of it, but he had lots of free time. "Sure."

"Right." It was awkward to part like this. Naruto moved first, closing the distance between them and kissing Sasuke softly. Sasuke immediately kissed back.

He didn't want to let go right after, and Naruto didn't seem opposed, so they kissed for a while, both seeking comfort and understanding. Luckily, it was something that could be found.

"I'll text you later, 'kay?" Naruto spoke with a hoarse voice. He looked anxious.

"Okay," Sasuke nodded and grabbed the book from the swing before starting to walk toward the direction of his own house.

An empty house was something he'd forgotten about. It was funny, because he'd spent years living alone after high school, but he'd never been bothered by it. In fact, it was always comforting. Until now.

He got himself a glass of water and went to his room. Even watching something would feel alone, he presumed.

Now he was starting to understand why many people despised relationships. Because once you got a feeling you're the half of another person, it destroyed your ability to be comfortable with your loneliness.

It wasn't like he would let the lack of Naruto's presence affect him. Even if their relationship would work out, in the end, they weren't kids anymore and couldn't spend every hour of the day together. Naruto had a job, and Sasuke was determined to have one too. Plus, Naruto had a _life_ here; one he'd established without Sasuke.

Without thinking, he opened the door of his closet and held the handle of his violin case, taking it out. He wanted to do something that didn't need attention. Muscle memory would let him play without a problem, which was an amazing thing because he didn't think he could read notes right now. He took the violin out of the case, running a finger over the wood to see if there were any dust, and checked the strings to see if it needed tuning.

When it was all done, Sasuke stood in front of the window, watching the trees and just started to play. He didn't really know what he was playing; actually, he was pretty sure he was messing up every once in a while and mashing songs up, but did it matter?

He didn't think so.

He played and played until his arms were sore and his eyelids were starting to close. Being emotionally drained was taking its toll on him. He put the violin on the desk, not bothering with the case. It took the remains of his energy to climb onto the bed and the instant his head met the pillow, he was out.

The buzzing sound awoke Sasuke. His eyes opened slowly, his mind trying to figure out what time it was. The sun was still up and shining. He groaned and reached for the bedside table to check who had texted him. Deep inside, he hoped it was Naruto, but it was just Ino, asking about the date.

Just as he was about to punch in a quick reply, he stopped. Ino would call him and ask for more details, and that was not something he wanted to talk about right now.

Still, it would be nice to talk to someone right now.

Instead of a reply, he touched the call button.

XxX

Thanks to Ino's work hours, they didn't get to speak for more than 20 minutes. Sasuke told Ino about how the night went and… the aftermath, without the details, and this time Ino did squeak like an over-enthusiastic high school student.

When they hung up, Sasuke realized he had a text from Naruto. It was just him saying he was safely in St. Paul, but it still helped Sasuke relax, even if just a bit. He couldn't really understand why Naruto's aunt had chosen a therapist in St. Paul when they could easily find one in Minneapolis, but they probably had a good reason. He just didn't want Naruto to feel anxious about being there.

Itachi wouldn't be home for another two hours, and Sasuke's eyes got tired of reading the book he'd borrowed from Naruto after a while. He went to the kitchen, looking through the ingredients in the fridge. He didn't know how to cook, yes, but he wasn't an idiot. He could make something using a recipe.

By the time the door opened, signaling Itachi's arrival, Sasuke had cooked spaghetti and tomato sauce for it. They smelled good. He tasted the sauce with a spoon. It was edible.

He sauntered to the living room to see Itachi. The man was sprawled out on the couch, his eyes closed.

"Hey," he greeted. "How was your day?"

Itachi smiled. "Tiring. How was yours?"

"…It was alright." He sat down next to him. "Do you want me to rub your shoulders?"

His eyes opened, gazing at Sasuke affectionately. Sasuke noticed the wrinkles by the dark eyes similar to his own. "Where's Naruto?"

Sasuke sighed. "In St. Paul."

"Therapist?"

"How do you know?"

"There's no way he would go there unless Tsunade forced him to see Kakashi," he stretched his back. "Wait. Did something happen?" His brows furrowed.

With a shrug, Sasuke stood up. "No. Just a check-up."

"And how did last night go?"

"I made dinner," Sasuke quickly changed the subject.

" _Sasuke_."

Trying his best to make his face look innocent, he turned around, regarding Itachi. "Yes?"

The older man took a step toward Sasuke and flicked his forehead. It didn't hurt much, but it was surprising. Before he realized it, Itachi was whispering in his ear. "You have a hickey on your neck."

Oops.

His face was burning up as Itachi chuckled and went upstairs to change his clothes. He'd forgotten all about that.

What if he'd gone outside?

He scrubbed his face with his hands. Next time, he'd have to remind Naruto to leave hickeys somewhere down on his chest instead of his neck.

He pushed the kitchen door open, utterly embarrassed, and took the plates down to put the food in. He took a deep breath and thought about last night as he started putting sauces in their dishes. It wasn't perfect in any way, they were both too nervous, but in the end, it had worked just fine and Sasuke couldn't have been happier about his first time.

Not that he'd ever dreamed of having a first time. But he'd never thought there would be someone whom he liked as much as Naruto either.

The blond was sometimes annoying. He would tease Sasuke just for the hell of it, quote random Disney movies and say historical stuff, but he was also… nice. Really nice. Despite his trauma, he was still caring toward people and Sasuke knew what Naruto had said about them bringing the best out of each other was true. Naruto made him forget about the emptiness he felt. If there was a way to be truly happy… there was no way he would ever pass up on a chance like that.

"Smells good," Itachi came in, wearing sweatpants and a short sleeved t-shirt. He looked different than when he was wearing a suit. Then again, when he was with Sasuke, he always looked more relaxed.

"Hopefully it tastes as good as it smells," Sasuke shook his head and proceeded to set the table.

"Naruto really should teach you how to cook other meals, though. A 12-year-old could make spaghetti."

"Tsk. I'm pretty sure I can do other things if I watch a how-to video."

"Maybe. But Naruto teaching you sounds better."

He gave a look at Itachi, and then, sat down across him.

"You don't need to be shy with me," Itachi spoke, staring at the food in his plate. "Feel free to stop me if I start asking personal questions, but I approve of your relationship with Naruto. Whatever kind of relationship you two decide it to be."

"…We've already kind of decided," he picked up his fork and took a tentative bite. It tasted alright.

Itachi arched a brow. "That was faster than I expected."

"I know," he said after swallowing. Under Itachi's questioning gaze, he got up to get a glass of water. "I… accepted to give it a try."

"That's great," Itachi smiled, making it obvious he was happy for him.

"Yeah," Sasuke took a swallow from the water. "Call of Duty after dinner?"

"I'm in."

xXx

Sasuke growled. "You killed our teammate!"

"Sorry, Sasuke," Itachi chuckled. "That wasn't my intention."

He put the controller down and took a shaky breath. "Anyway. Can I ask for a favor?"

"Of course," Itachi turned the TV off. "Is something wrong?"

"No…" Anxiously, he started rubbing his arm. "Naruto told me one of Yahiko's friends has an architecture firm."

"True."

"And that they're looking for employees."

"Sasuke," Itachi said with a serious tone. "You don't have to work. But if you want to, I'll gladly set you up an interview."

"Thanks." He didn't elaborate, and Itachi didn't ask.

"If that's all, I guess I'll turn in for the night."

Sasuke looked at Itachi's sleepy form. His lips twitched at the sight. Itachi was practically sleeping on his feet. "That's all."

"Hm," he stood up. "Good night, little brother. Don't forget to give Naruto a call."

"I won't."

He watched Itachi disappear from his sight before letting out a shuddering breath. He was alone here once again. The days he'd spent alone in his apartment back in California seemed so far away.

He needed a drink.

Maybe spending time with Naruto was starting to rub off on him –because he usually didn't drink much- but he was okay with it. At least it made him feel alive.

Grabbing a beer from the fridge, he put it on the table to go get his laptop from his room. He stuffed his phone in his pocket and grabbed his beer again.

The breeze wasn't strong. He walked to Naruto's backyard, put his laptop and phone on the swing before sitting down beside them. It felt weird to be here without Naruto. He was sure the blond wouldn't mind, after all, they were _dating_ (he still couldn't believe it).

He silently sipped his beer until the bottle was empty. He put it on the grass and grabbed his laptop, powering it on. He would write something short. Just to vent and pass the time. Then he would call Naruto.

XxX

By midnight, he'd already written about ten thousand words. It was a short story about a teenage boy who liked to stargaze, and it had kept him busy for apparently almost an hour and a half.

Chewing his bottom lip, he starting reading what he'd written. He fixed a couple of sentences and spelling errors. When the half of it was read, he realized the story reminded him of someone.

Naruto.

He honestly hadn't thought about Naruto while writing it. The boy who liked to watch the stars… and dream. The kind and cheerful boy. It was all Naruto.

With a sigh, he saved the document and shut the laptop down, placing it on the seat next to him. He grabbed his phone to call Naruto. There wasn't anything specific he wanted to tell him; his day hadn't been hectic at all, but he was sure Naruto had stuff to say. The corner of his lips twitched upward—

Suddenly, he froze. The lights were on in Naruto's house.

" _Sasuke?"_

He gulped. Hearing Naruto's voice wasn't soothing him at all. This was a small town, so he didn't think there would be many thieves around, but someone apparently had broken in.

" _Hello?"_

He got up, his hand still holding the phone to his ear as he carefully paced toward the kitchen window. His movements were slow. "Naruto. Hey."

" _Listen, I—"_

"Shh." He bent his knees to lower himself so he wouldn't be out in the open. "There's someone in your house."

"… _Ha? Where are you?"_ Naruto's voice sounded muffled.

"In the backyard," he whispered. "Right under your kitchen window. I think someone broke in—"

Before he had the chance to complete his sentence, the window flew open. The sound of the window hitting the wall sent Sasuke flying down.

"Sasuke?"

"HOLY SHIT!" Sasuke yelped. His heart was beating erratically in his chest. "Why didn't you tell me it's you? You gave me a fucking heart attack!"

"Oh," Naruto looked down, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't look exactly happy or mad. Actually, he looked apathetic. "Sorry. I had no idea what you were talking about."

"You could at least tell me you were going to come back," he stood up, brushing his hands against his pants to get rid of the dirt. "I thought you would stay with Tsunade and I didn't hear any sounds from your car."

"Hm," Naruto stared at him for a moment before he sighed and raked a hand through his hair, reaching to the window handle to close it. "You can come in if you want."

Without another word, he closed it. Sasuke was… confused. It wasn't exactly an invitation, but he didn't look like he was just being kind either. The choice was entirely up to Sasuke.

And of course, he was getting in. He knew something was wrong. Naruto needed comfort. The least he could do was to be there for him.

Like he expected, the door was unlocked. He closed it behind himself with a soft click and after placing his laptop and phone on the coffee table in the living room, he proceeded to walk toward the kitchen. Naruto was sitting on the floor with a bottle in his hand. The entire room smelled like alcohol.

He looked at Sasuke. His pink lips quirked, but they didn't form a proper smile. Sasuke sat down on the floor next to Naruto and leaned against the counter. His pants were already dirty, so he didn't need to worry about that. "You're drinking again."

"I am."

"I'm not judging," he murmured. "How did it go?"

Naruto took a sip. "It was alright."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really," he shrugged. "But I told him about you. He likes you already."

He smiled, but since they were both looking ahead, it was unseen by Naruto. "That's good to hear."

After several minutes of silence and drinking, Sasuke finally found the courage to look at Naruto. He looked normal, but his expression was something Sasuke hadn't seen before, and definitely something he didn't like. He pressed his index finger to Naruto's cheek. "Don't look like that."

"You really suck at comforting people," Naruto sneered. He pulled his legs closer to himself, hugging his knees with his idle arm.

"I know," Sasuke nodded. He wasn't reluctant as he reached for Naruto's hand. He held the bottle with his other hand and put it on the floor. Naruto's hand was warm in his. He pulled it closer to his mouth, kissing the back of it.

Naruto took a shuddering breath, facing Sasuke. His gaze softened at the sight and his lips turned into a genuine smile this time as he looked at Sasuke lips. Sasuke could feel his breath on his mouth, and it reeked of alcohol, but Naruto looked like he wanted a kiss. He wasn't going to deny him.

He leaned in, closed his eyes and kissed just the corner of Naruto's mouth. Naruto whimpered softly as his hand fisted in Sasuke's hair, crushing their mouths together. If he wasn't good with comforting words, Sasuke was sure he could comfort Naruto with his kisses. Naruto's kisses always calmed him down. He hoped it was a mutual feeling.

As the kiss gained a fierce state, he pushed Naruto down to the floor and braced himself as their mouths moved on each other. Naruto had let go. He was acting submissive, accepting whatever Sasuke did. Sasuke was sucking Naruto's tongue in his own mouth, biting and tugging his bottom lip.

He pulled back slightly to continue kissing Naruto's cheek, jaw, and neck. Naruto was flushed a bright red, probably from the alcohol, and his lips were swollen from all the sucking Sasuke had done on them.

"I wouldn't say no if you said you wanted to take me right here," Naruto whispered. His words went directly to Sasuke's groin, causing his jeans to feel tight on him. He didn't need to look down to know Naruto was already hard.

"You're too easy," Sasuke nipped Naruto's bottom lip. Before they went further, he wanted to make sure Naruto was touched enough. He wanted to show him that he cared, he wanted Naruto to know he was here for him.

Naruto's hands were on Sasuke's body, sliding against his back and sides, then his chest, but his touches didn't feel like he was trying to arouse Sasuke. He was simply… feeling. Acknowledging Sasuke's presence.

"The floor's going to hurt your back," Sasuke exclaimed, his hands under Naruto's shirt as his lips traveled on his neck.

"I don't care," Naruto growled. He stopped Sasuke to take his shirt off. "Let's do it. Right here."

Sasuke's gaze roamed over Naruto's bare, tan chest, then his hands that were undoing his belt. "We don't have condoms here."

With a groan, Naruto's hands closed on his face. His pants were still on. "Then go get one, Sasuke."

The kitchen wasn't his ideal place to have sex. He wasn't even used to doing it in the bed, and here Naruto was, asking him to do it on the kitchen floor. He got to his feet and grabbed Naruto's shirt from the floor. One of his hands rested on Naruto's shoulder. "Let's go to your room."

For a moment, he thought Naruto would snap at him. Instead, Naruto briefly nodded and did as he was told. Sasuke intertwined their fingers, leading Naruto out of the kitchen and to the bedroom.

With swift movements of his hand, he jerked Naruto's pants down. Naruto stepped aside and watched Sasuke take his shirt off.

Once they were both only in their boxers, Naruto brushed their lips together. He was somehow calmer than 5 minutes ago. Sasuke could only hope it would last.

They were on the bed, Sasuke straddling Naruto's hips and kissing his chest, leaving red marks here and there. He wanted to take his time making Naruto feel good because Naruto did the exact same thing to him.

"Sasuke."

"Hm?" He stopped swirling his tongue around the hardened nub and looked into Naruto's eyes.

Naruto straightened up and pulled Sasuke closer to give him a kiss. His hand followed a trail down Sasuke's chest and stopped when it reached his erection. He tugged the boxers down and starting pumping his shaft. A soft moan escaped Sasuke's mouth. It felt too good.

The sound of the condom wrapping tearing made Sasuke raise an amused yet confused brow. "Just how many people did you sleep with to earn the skill to open it with one hand?"

"Is that jealousy speaking or are you honestly curious?" Naruto whispered to Sasuke's neck.

"…Both?"

"Heh," he rolled the condom down on Sasuke's length. He uncapped the lube with the same efficiency and squeezed some. A few open-mouthed kisses were planted on Sasuke's throat. "I want you inside me."

Biting his lip, Sasuke nodded. It wasn't like he was clueless. Naruto obviously had had a lot more experience than he did and probably had had better fucks, but this wasn't about that. He knew that.

Naruto discarded his own boxers and his slick fingers went between his cheeks. Sasuke's pulse ticked up at the sight. "I can do it."

"You just watch," Naruto smirked. As he prepped himself, his mouth occasionally opened to let out a puff of air, his chest was flushed and his now revealed cock head was becoming an angry purple.

Sasuke drowned in the sight. Naruto was breathtaking; he looked so beautiful like this. Sasuke gulped. This time, it wasn't nervousness. It was pure lust that made him uneasy.

"Okay," Naruto panted. He quickly turned around and faced the headboard. "You know what to do. Or do you need a handbook or somethin'?"

With a snort, Sasuke crawled closer to Naruto. "Tsk. You're getting cocky."

"Maybe," he turned his head to look at Sasuke over his shoulder. "Let's see if you learned anything last night."

Sasuke's hands were groping Naruto's cheeks and kneading them. "Is that your best at dirty talking?"

"So you're into that…" He grinned wolfishly. "Do you want me to beg?"

Lining his cock with Naruto's entrance, Sasuke hummed. "…Maybe."

It would be interesting.

" _Sasuke_ ," he pleaded. "Please fuck me until I can't stand on my knees. I want you to ram into me so hard. Make me scream your name."

He was barely aware of anything as he suddenly pushed in. Naruto gasped, pushing back to take more of Sasuke.

It was fucking amazing.

Naruto was so, so hot. His tightness was surrounding Sasuke's cock, burning him as he started to mindlessly thrust into it. Naruto didn't seem to mind. He was meeting Sasuke's thrusts with a thrust.

He violently gripped Naruto's shoulders and let Naruto's groans, whimpers and muffled words of approval drive him insane. This moment, his decision was final. He was never letting Naruto go.

"Fuck, Sasuke," Naruto cried into the pillow. "Harder. Make it hurt."

Who was he to say no? If Naruto liked it rough, he was more than happy to comply. "Mm, Naruto," he groaned and bit his shoulder.

As Sasuke's thrusts earned an almost animalistic nature, he fisted Naruto's hair and leaned down to connect their mouths. Their tongues lapped together and they muffled each other's moans.

It felt so right.

"Ah – Jesus Christ!" Sasuke gave one particularly hard thrust that had Naruto jerking.

"I'd rather you say my name," Naruto sucked on Sasuke's upper lip. "Let me get on top."

He ceased moving his hips as Naruto pushed him down to the other side of the bed and got on top of him. He adjusted himself and started riding Sasuke.

"Oh," he arched his body. "Feels so fuckin' good."

Sasuke was thrusting up, his hands stroking Naruto's thighs. They were both sweaty and too lost in pleasure.

"Nghhh! _So close_ ," he started jerking himself off.

Sasuke watched Naruto wildly slam himself down in time with the movements of his hand and the sight was enough to push him over the edge. He released deep inside Naruto with a throaty groan. Naruto followed him, spraying Sasuke's chest with his seed as he held onto Sasuke's shoulder for support.

His hands were too shaky to keep him up. He slumped down, his breathing heavy against Sasuke's sensitive skin. Sasuke could still feel his softening cock pulsate inside Naruto.

He wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and closed his eyes as they both tried to come down from the amazing experience they'd had.

Naruto carefully lifted himself and flopped down next to Sasuke. "You didn't hold back at all."

"Mm," Sasuke rolled to his side. "I feel sticky."

"We should probably shower," he yawned and wiped his wet bangs to the side. He sweetly smiled at Sasuke and took his hand in his. "You don't run away when I'm sad. You don't get away from me because I have problems."

A frown settled on Sasuke's relaxed face. "Why would I do that?"

He blinked. "Most people don't bother with other people's pain." His hand brushed against Sasuke's neck. "Under your mask of indifference, you really care for people close to you."

Sasuke nuzzled against the warm hand. "I didn't have many people to care about until I came here."

"Mm," he kissed Sasuke's jaw. "You admit you care about me?"

"Of course I care about you," Sasuke murmured. "You're my boyfriend, aren't you?"

"I am," Naruto grinned. He pressed his lips to Sasuke's and kissed him until they were both out of breath.

Sasuke drew in a deep breath, watching Naruto's face. "What now?"

"Shower." He helped Sasuke sit up before leaving the bed to find some clothes for them to wear after getting clean.

xXx

Naruto ate leftovers from the fridge as Sasuke found a movie for them to watch. They were on the couch, Naruto's head on Sasuke's lap. "I asked Itachi to set me up an interview."

"You did?" Naruto said, still looking at the screen.

"Hm." He ran his hand through the still damp locks of blond hair. "You were right. Also, I don't want to stay home all day and be a housewife."

"You're pretty," Naruto rolled to look at Sasuke, grinning brightly. "But you don't know how to cook. I bet you can't clean either."

"I can clean," Sasuke denied. "And don't call me pretty."

"Hehe," Naruto sat up on a sudden, pulling Sasuke on top of him with crushing force. "You're so cuuuute!"

"I'll kill you," Sasuke growled, trying to push Naruto away, but Naruto's hold around him only tightened.

"You can't escape from my hug," Naruto chuckled. "Ow – stop fighting, my ass hurts! Just cuddle with me, will you?"

"It's your fault," he snorted but eventually stopped resisting. His head rested on Naruto's chest. "Let me go."

"Shut up," Naruto pinched him lightly. "Stop making a huge deal out of it. I asked you to cuddle. Not to climb the Great Divide."

"What kind of person says that?"

"Me kind of person."

"Pfft."

"You're jealous because I'm too cool," Naruto brushed a kiss on Sasuke's forehead.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Sasuke smiled.

XxX

It wasn't until 3 in the morning that Sasuke woke up and realized they'd fallen asleep on the couch. He wasn't sore, thanks to Naruto's body - which worked as a great pillow, but he felt sorry for Naruto when he shook him awake and the blond said his back hurt like hell. After going to Naruto's room and sleeping in the bed, they felt a lot better in the morning.

Sasuke was doing the bed, Naruto was singing while he brushed his teeth ( _how did he even do that?_ ) and it was a beautiful, calm morning. One that Sasuke liked very much.

"Don't forget to wash the dirty sheets," Sasuke pointed at the sheets on the floor that he'd changed before going to sleep.

"I won't," Naruto nodded. "You wanna go out? I have only 3 days of vacation left."

"If you want to," Sasuke grabbed his toothbrush and squeezed some toothpaste onto it.

"I'll take you to this pancake place in Minneapolis," Naruto snickered and kissed Sasuke's cheek.

"Sounds good."

After brushing his teeth, they headed to Itachi's house to get some clothes. Naruto was drinking water so Sasuke climbed the stairs on his own, and the moment he entered his room, the feeling of loneliness washed over.

It was so much better to be here with Naruto.

Like he wanted to prove Sasuke right, Naruto walked in. "What's up? Why do you look frozen like a statue? Are you a weeping angel?"

"Don't force me to cut the cables of your TV," Sasuke's brow twitched.

"Hah! You wouldn't dare." Naruto sat on the bed, then changed his mind and laid down, making himself comfortable as Sasuke went to find something to wear in the closet room. "Your pillow smells like you."

"I wonder why," Sasuke retorted dryly.

"I'm hungry. Hurry up or I'll dress you myself."

"Impatient," he muttered under his breath. It didn't really bother him like normal people's impatience did.

"Coming in!" Naruto opened the door and grabbed the black t-shirt from Sasuke's hand. "What are you, 5? What's taking you so long?"

It took all his strength to not burst into laughter. It was the first time someone was accusing him of being a kid, and that person was… _Naruto_.

"Hey, stop lookin' funny and raise your arms."

Sasuke let Naruto put it on for him – simply because he was too focused on not laughing to take the shirt back.

"We should do it in here sometime," he looked around. "Architect t-shirt! I wanna wear it!"

"You were just saying you…" He didn't complete his sentence. Naruto changed his t-shirt only in a couple of seconds. He really _was_ fast.

"Come on now."

Sasuke did laugh softly this time. "Fine."

"Also remind me to get takeaway for Itachi if we have lunch there. He likes eating at that restaurant across the park. Oh – I know what we'll do after breakfast! There's a place I wanna show you."

It was heartwarming. Sasuke liked hearing Naruto blabber enthusiastically about stuff that didn't even matter. In the bright orange car he absolutely hated, sitting in the passenger seat and holding Naruto's hand, he took a deep breath and smiled.

It was so good to be home.


End file.
